Does irradiation cause chemical changes in food?
Yes, irradiation does produce chemical changes in foods. These substances, called “radiolytic products,” may sound mysterious, but they are not. They have been scrutinized by scientists in making safety assessments of irradiated foods. Any kind of treatment causes chemical changes in food. Scientists find the changes in food created by irradiation minor to those created by cooking. The products created by cooking are so significant that consumers can smell and taste them, whereas only a chemist with extremely sensitive lab equipment may be able to detect radiolytic products. Irradiated food looks like the raw food.
