Despite an intensive research and development effort in the field of food
irradiation for more than 40 years, only a few books covering the general
subject have been available. The movement toward commercialization of
the process, already underway in several countries, and the recent actions
of various governmental agencies to accept irradiated foods as whole￾some have stimulated increased interest in the process. This book has
been written to provide an overview of food irradiation in all its important
aspects and at the same time to give adequate detailed information to
assist those who intend to use the process. A strong effort has been made
to enable a comfortable understanding of the fundamental aspects of food
irradiation as well as its applications.