Does consumption of radiation processed food cause chromosomal abnormalities ?
National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad reported that the feeding of radiation processed food caused development of abnormal chromosomes (Polyploidy) in malnourished children and laboratory animals. Polyploidy means occurrence of cells having more than twice the normal number of chromosomes. Human cells normally have 46 chromosomes. Some polyploid cells may naturally occur in human body. The NIN reported the incidence of polyploidy after feeding of products made from wheat immediately after irradiation. No polyploidy was observed when irradiated wheat was stored for 12 weeks before consumption. However, a number of institutions in India and abroad could not reproduce these results. In 1976, a committee appointed by the Government of India examined the NIN data and concluded that neither the design of the study nor the results were such as to demonstrate induction of polyploidy due to consumption of radiation processed wheat. A number of researchers and scientific committees in
