2. Advantages and limitations of ionization

In France, as in all industrialized countries, ionizing radiation treatments are used primarily for food safety purposes. It eliminates pathogenic bacteria, particularly in poultry meat (Listeria, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, etc.) and significantly reduces the total flora.

Diet-related diseases are a growing global problem. It is becoming widespread because of the intensive production methods needed to meet the developed world's continuous demand for meat and vegetables, exotic fruits and spices, regardless of the seasons.

The latest estimates put the number of food-related illnesses in the USA alone at 76 million, 5,000 of them fatal. Children and the elderly are most at risk. Campylobacter in poultry and Salmonella in meat account for the greatest number of deaths, but E. coli-0157 : H7 in ground...