The citations listed below are drawn from food safety literature and are meant to provide an overview of food irradiation educational resources. Links to additional food irradiation resources on the Internet can be found at: http://peaches.nal.usda.gov/foodborne/fbindex/Food_Irradiation.asp.

Brochures

Irradiated Foods, Fifth Edition
American Council on Science and Health. 2003
Relates the current scientific knowledge and regulatory state of affairs for food irradiation.  Cost:$5 or can download online.
Available online in PDF format at http://www.acsh.org/publications/booklets/irradiated2003.html

Food Irradiation: A Global Food Safety Tool
International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC). May 2002
Food safety is enhanced through irradiation  Cost:Free
Available online in PDF format at http://www.iaea.or.at/icgfi/documents/food-brochure.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions About Food Irradiation
Center for Consumer Research, University of California, Davis. 2002
FAQ's answered by Christine Bruhn, noted expert in food irradiation.  Cost:Free
Available online in PDF format at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/pdf/7255_FAQ_Food_Irradiation.pdf

Food Irradiation
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. 2002
Eight-page brochure explains concept and process of food irradiation, why it is done, how to identify irradiated products and benefits of using irradiated food.  Cost:Free (bulk orders- pay at cost)
Order from http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/Catalog.html
Available online at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/uk104.html

Food Irradiation and You: (Series of four brochures)
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. 2002
Series of four brochures. Each brochure is four pages and provides general information about food irradiation. Titles: What Is Irradiation and How Are Foods Irradiated?; What Does Irradiation Do to Food?; Labeling and Cost of Irradiated Foods; How Safe Are Irradiated Foods?  Cost:Free (bulk orders- pay at cost)
Order from http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/Catalog.html
Available online at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/foods.html

Safe Handling of Irradiated Meats and Poultry
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. 2002
Explains how to handle irradiated food to ensure food safety.  Cost:Free
Available online in PDF format at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/uk105.html

Food Irradiation-Consumer Fact Sheet
National Food Processors Association. Jan. 2000
One page consumer fact sheet explains how irradiation works and provides food safety information.  Cost:Free
Available online in PDF format at http://www.nfpa-food.org/members/food_safety/Food%20Irradiation.pdf

Questions and Answers About Irradiation of Meats
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. 2000
Four-panel brochure answers questions about irradiation and food safety.  Cost:Free
Available online in PDF format at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/uk069.htm

Food Irradiation: A Safe Measure
Food Marketing Institute. Jan. 2000
For consumers: background, Q & A, home food handling tips.  Cost:Free
Available online in PDF format at http://www.fmi.org/consumer/irradiation/irrbro2.pdf

Food Irradiation Facts
Iowa State University Extension. March 1999
Explanation and uses of food irradiation.  Cost:Free
Available online in PDF format at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/NCR437A.pdf

Videos

Food Technology -Irradiation
Culinary and Hospitality Industry Publications Services. 2001
History and details of the irradiation process, effects of irradiation on treated products, and consumer acceptance. Supplement comes with video and includes quizzes, examination, answer key. 29 mins.  Cost:$115.00 + shipping
Order from http://www.chipsbooks.com/howorder.htm
Web site: http://www.chipsbooks.com/fdtecirr.htm

Irradiation and Immunocompromised Conditions
Iowa State University Extension. June 2001
Series of four programs discusses use of irradiated food for people with health problems. Titles: HIV/AIDS; Seniors; Chemotherapy; Transplant.  Cost:$35/series
Lisa Scarbrough Iowa State University Extension Communications 3614 ASB, Room 1712 Ames, IA 50011 Phone: 515-294-4972 Fax: 515-294-7767 E-mail: lscarb@iastate.edu

Food Technology: Irradiation
Omega Films Limited. 2000
Explores safety, labeling, nutritional concerns of consumers. Available only in Canada.  Cost:Call for price.
Order from: 585 Middlefield Road, Unit #23 Scarborough, Ontario, Canada M1V 4Y5 Phone (416) 291-4733 Toll-free 1-800-OMEGAFV Fax (416) 291-7775 Email: info@omegafilms.ca
Web site: http://www.omegafilms.ca/catalogues/065vhs.pdf

Electronic Pasteurization
Surebeam Corporation. 1999
7 min. video explains type of food irradiation which uses electricity.  Cost:Call for price and availability
Public Relations: 858/795-6300

Online Virtual Tour of Florida Food Irradiation Facility
Grocery Manufacturers of America. 1998
Online videoSix minute video explains how food irradiation works and the importance of safe food handling.  Cost:Free
Download from "Other Resources" at http://www.gmabrands.com/publicpolicy/foodsafety.cfm

Irradiation of Meat
Iowa State University Extension. Dec. 1997
Food irradiation process, science, regulations and concerns about irradiation. 57 mins.  Cost:$20.
Lisa Scarbrough Iowa State University Extension Communications 3614 ASB, Room 1712 Ames, IA 50011 Phone: 515-294-4972 Fax: 515-294-7767 E-mail: lscarb@iastate.edu

Curricula

Food Irradiation Update: Meat Irradiation
Penn State University-Departments of Food Science; Dairy and Animal Science; Cooperative Extension and PA Beef Council. August 2002
Online workshop review with brochures and slide showsSummary of one day workshop features six PowerPoint slide shows. For educators.  Cost:Free
Available online at http://foodsafety.cas.psu.edu/irradiation_update.htm

Food Irradiation: Ensuring Your Food's Safety
April Mason, Purdue University. Dec. 2002
Video, lesson plan, PowerPointCurriculum includes lesson plan, PowerPoint and 8 min. Video (Food Irradiation: Behind the Headlines, April 2002). Explains food irradiation and its benefits; lesson plan includes a variety of teaching options.  Cost:Video: $25.00; Lesson plan and PowerPoint free (download from Web site)
Order form for video on Web site; Call: 1-888-EXT-INFO (398-4636); FAX: (765) 496-1540
Available at http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/extension/irradiation/

Food Tech: New Tech. What You Need to Know
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. Oct. 2000
Video, leader's guide, brochureTraining program for consumer education . 10 min. video titled Irradiation Basics is designed for use with program.  Cost:Video $9.55 +tax, S & H; fact sheet $.72; leader's guide $.40
Video: Irradiation Basics, SV458; Brochure MF2476; Leader's Guide MF2475. Call (785) 532-5830.
Leader's guide available at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/fntr2/mf2475.pdf Fact sheet available at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/fntr2/mf2476.pdf

Project Food Safety for the Middle Level Science Classroom
Montana State University Extension Service. 1993-94
Video, teacher's guide, lesson plan, quizzesProject Food Safety consists of 3 modules for middle school youth. The 8th grade unit is about food irradiation and can be ordered separately.  Cost:Workbook $5 each; video $14.95 each.
Extension Publications Rm 115, Culbertson Hall, MSU Bozeman, MT 59717 Telephone: 406-994-3273 Fax: 406-994-1756 E-mail address: acxtb@montana.edu

Selected Readings

Seeing Is Believing: Effective Components of Professional Development Training for County Extension Educators on an Innovation Perceived as Risky—Food Irradiation
Journal of Food Science Education. Volume 3, Issue 4. 54-58.
Thompson, BM; Schielack, JF; Vestal, TA
The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the effectiveness of various components of a professional development training on family and consumer sciences county extension educators' understanding of food irradiation.
Full text available on-line
http://www.ift.org/pdfs/jfse/JFSEv3n4p0054-0058ms20040118.pdf

The Role of Irradiation in Food Safety
The New England Journal of Medicine 2004; 350(18): 1898-1901
Osterholm, MT; Norgan, AP
This article presents a convincing argument that physicians and other health care professionals, as health advocates, should also be advocates for the irradiation of foods to prevent the transmission of infection.
Full text available at http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/350/18/1898?ijkey=LWiMWvvKzdxfE&keytype=ref&siteid=nejm
Available online

Consumer Attitudes Towards Irradiated Food: 2003 vs. 1993
Food Protection Trends. 2004; 24(6): 408-418
Johnson, AM; Reynolds, AE; Chen, J; Resurreccion, AVA
A survey was conducted to determine current consumer attitudes toward irradiation after consuming irradiated ready-to-eat poultry meat products and evaluate differences in consumer acceptance, if any, over the past ten years.
Abstract available at http://www.foodprotection.org/Publications/Abstracts/2004Abstracts/June2004.htm

Influences on purchases of irradiated foods.
Food Technology. Vol. 56, No. 11. Nov. 2002
Fox, John A.
Counteracting negative messages with positive ones influence consumer attitudes towards purchase of irradiated foods.
Available online at http://www.ift.org/publications/docshop/ft_shop/11-02/11_02_pdfs/11-02-fox.pdf

Consumer preferences for food irradiation: How favorable and unfavorable descriptions affect preferences for irradiated pork in experimental auctions.
Journal of Risk and Uncertainty. 24 (1): p. 75-95. Jan. 2002
Fox, John A.; Hayes, Dermot J.; Shogren, Jason F.
Article examined effects of favorable and unfavorable descriptions of food irradiation on consumers' purchasing behavior.
On-line
Available online at http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/0895-5646/contents

Consumer acceptance of irradiated meat and poultry in the United States.
Journal of Food Protection. 64(12): 2020-6. Dec. 2001
Frenzen, P.D.; DeBess, E.E.; Hechemy, K.E.; Kassenborg, H.; Kennedy,M.; McCombs, K.; McNees, A.
Results of FoodNet Population Survey studying consumer acceptance of food irradiation with regard to five risk factors.

United States consumer choice of irradiated food.
Irradiation for foodsafety and quality. Proceedings of FAO-IAEA-WHO International Conference on Ensuring the Safety and Quality of Food through Radiation Processing, Antalya, Turkey, 19-22 October 2000. 169-173; 16 ref.
Bruhn C.M.; Loaharanu P. (ed.); Thomas, P.
Summary of presentation paper shows that consumers respond to benefits of irradiated food.

Florida: A case study in marketing irradiated poultry.
Irradiation for foodsafety and quality. Proceedings of FAO-IAEA-WHO International Conference on Ensuring the Safety and Quality of Food through Radiation Processing, Antalya, Turkey, 19-22 October 2000. 169-173; 16 ref.
Hunter, C.
Case study describes marketing challenges of irradiated poultry and consumer education

Position of The American Dietetic Association: Food irradiation.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association. V. 100 (2) p. 246-253. Feb. 2000
Bruhn, Christine M.; Wood, Olivia Bennett
Full text available on-line.
Available online at http://www.eatright.org/adap0200.html

Food irradiation and the medical community--supporting a new tool to prevent food-borne illness.
Journal of Agromedicine. V. 6 (4) p. 45-57. 2000.
Hunter, R.G.; Brooks, R.G.
Describes irradiation process, its role in food-borne illness prevention and consumer education.

Consumer acceptance of irradiated meat and poultry products.
Agriculture information bulletin. Economic Research Service, Washington, DC. Food and Rural Economics Div. Aug. 2000
Frenzen, P.D.; Majchrowicz, A.; Buzby, J.C.; Imhoff, B.
Results of FoodNet Population Survey; consumer attitudes may change in response to educational messages.
Full text available for a $10.00 fee.
Available online in PDF format at http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib757/aib757.pdf

Irradiated foods: The consumers' response.
NFPA Journal. Nov. 1999
Bruhn, Christine M.
Consumer acceptance of irradiated food is high in upscale markets and purchases will increase with more education and endorsement from medical community.
Full text available on-line
Available online in PDF format at http://www.nfpa-food.org/members/journal/nov99_consumer.pdf

Consumer acceptance of irradiated meat.
Food Technology. V.53 (3) p. 56-59. March 1999
Fox, J. A.; Lusk, J.L.; McIlvain, C.L.
Studies of consumers' willingness to buy irradiated meat.

Will consumers buy irradiated beef?
Food Technology. V. 53 (3) p. 52-55. March 1999
Resurreccion, A.V.A.; Galvez, F.C.F.
Consumers' willingness to purchase irradiated beef increases with effective education.

Impact of socioeconomic characteristics on attitudes toward food irradiation.
Journal of Food Distribution Research. 29 (3) 26-34, 13 ref. Nov. 1998
Hinson R.A.; Harrison, R.W.; Andrews, L.
Impact of socioeconomic factors studied in consumers' acceptance of irradiated food and their willingness to pay more for it.

Irradiation: A safe measure for safer food.
FDA Consumer. Rockville, Md. : Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health & Human Services. V.32 (3) p. 12-17. May/June 1998
Henkel, J.
An overiew of food irradiation; discussion of consumer acceptance survey and study of education strategy.

Market trials of irradiated chicken.
Radiation Physics and Chemistry. Vol. 52, No. 1-6. pp.63-66. 1998
Fox, John A.; Olson, Dennis G.
Potential market for irradiated chicken was tested using a mail survey and retail experiment. Also tested consumer acceptability through purchases.

Consumers' views on food irradiation.
Food Marketing Institute and Grocery Manufacturers of America, 47 p. 1998
Report of consumer research presented at a joint conference held in Washington, DC, April 1998.
Available online at http://www.fmi.org/pub

Consumer attitudes toward food irradiation.
International Food Information Council Foundation. July 1998
Summary of research in consumer acceptance of food irradiation after education..
Full text available on-line
Available online at http://ific.org/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=18120

Food irradiation: Applications and barriers to use in the global food marketplace.
A special report: Food Chemical News. Washington, DC. P. 13-20 1998
Chapters 4 and 5 discuss consumer education and retailers' resistance to food irradiation.

20 ways to market the concept of food irradiation.
Food Technology. V. 51 (2) p. 46-48. Feb. 1997
Pszczola, D.E.
Marketing ideas to encourage consumer acceptance of irradiated food.

Strategies for communicating the facts on food irradiation to consumers.
Journal of Food Protection. V. 58 (2) p.213-216. 1995
Bruhn, C. M.
Most consumers respond positively to irradiated food when they are educated about the process.

Social demographic and attitudinal determinants of consumer acceptance of food irradiation.
Agribusiness. 11 (2) 117-130 45 ref. 1995
Sapp, S.G.; Harrod, W.J.; LiJun, Zhao
Social demographic and attitudinal variables evaluated on food acceptance in a laboratory experiment.

Radiophobia: Will fear of irradiation impede its future in food processing? Identifies a need for consumer education in the benefits of food irradiation.
British Food Journal. 97: 5, 32-35; 11 ref. 1995
Jack F.R.; Sanderson, D.C.W.
Describes test of hypothesis that radiophobia is stumbling block to consumer acceptance of food irradiation.
on-line subscription to British Food Journal ($15.00 unregistered user)
Available online ($15.00 unregistered user) at http://ernesto.emeraldinsight.com/vl=2992724/cl=62/nw=1/rpsv/bfj.htm

Consumer acceptance of irradiated poultry.
Poultry Science. V. 74 (8) p. 1287-1294. Aug. 1995
Resurreccion, A.V.A; Hashim, I.B.; McWatters, K.H.
Simulated supermarket study of consumer response to marketing strategies and educational program.

Irradiation and food safety: Consumer attitudes and awareness.
Valuing Food Safety and Nutrition. pp. 435-455. 1995
Misra, Sukant K.; Fletcher, Stanley M.; Huang, Chung L.
Discussion of food irradiation, survey results and value of consumer education.

Consumer attitudes toward irradiated food: Results of a new study.
Journal of Food Protection. V. 58 (2) p. 193-196. Feb. 1995
Resurreccion, A.V.A.; Galvez, F.C.F.; Fletcher, S.M.; Misra, S.K.
Study results from a questionnaire about consumer attitudes towards food irradiation.

Influence of audiovisuals and food samples on consumer acceptance of food irradiation.
Food Technology. V. 48 (12) p. 46, 48-49. Dec. 1994
Pohlman, A.J.; Wood, O.B.; Mason, A.C.
Audiovisual education program is effective in increasing consumer knowledge and facilitates positive consumer attitude.

Irradiated strawberries enter the US market.
Food Technology. 46 (5) 80, 82, 84, 86, 5 ref. May 1992
Marcotte, M.
One of first public introductions of irradiated food and describes consumer reaction and acceptance.

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This publication was developed in part through a Cooperative Agreement between the National Agricultural Library and the Department of Nutrition and Food Science in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland.

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Prepared by Cathy Alessi
USDA/FDA Foodborne Illness Education Information Center
National Agricultural Library
e-mail: foodborne@nal.usda.gov
Web site: http://www.nal.usda.gov/foodborne

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