Use of the peroxide method for identifying irradiated food

The peroxide method is important not only for detecting irradiated food but also for the control of the quality of food. Recent research showed that DNA damage induced by lipid peroxidation may be involved in processes of aging and tumorigenesis. The main difficulty of applying the peroxide method in identifying irradiated food is the lack of knowledge about factors which influence the levels of peroxide in non-irradiated foods. Studies have shown that the rate of peroxidation is dependent on the concentrations of radicals and oxygen which exist in foods. Ionising radiation can accelerate peroxidation of lipid-containing food. The peroxidation rate induced by radiation is much faster than that of autooxidation. This paper presents new information about γ-irradiation peroxidation and autoxidation in pork, liquor and docosahexaenoic acid aqueous solution systems as well as the feasibility of detecting irradiated foods by the peroxide method. The blind test for identifying irradiated pork by the peroxide method is also included in this work. (author)