Guidelines for assessing food irradiation technology

Irradiation is currently being considered throughout the world as a possible solution to varied problems. How does one proceed with conducting a formal assessment of the technology to determine if it can technically and economically meet a specific need. Numerous criteria are suggested in the literature for assessing the technology. However, many of these items are difficult to apply to particular situations. Futhermore, a comprehensive technical approach may be too consuming in both time and money. The basic guidelines and procedures presented in the paper are useful for early determination of project feasibility. Irradiation should be considered as part of a system - not as a stand-alone, isolated process. Consideration must be given to preceding and following processes and events. Comparisons between alternatives must be made on a system-wide basis to ensure uniformity and accuracy of conclusions. However, only a few key factors have a major impact on project feasibility. By concentrating on these factors, and staging the time at which they are considered, a reliable decision to proceed or not can be made at a minimum investment. (author)