Effects and application of ionizing radiation on fruits and vegetables: A review

Irradiation applications have been widely distributed in the food industry in the form of inhibition of sprout and rooting, senescence delay, and eliminating microbial growth. Shelf life enhancement and quality management approach in fruits and vegetables are performed by irradiation by interfering with catabolism of microorganisms involved in the fresh produce after storage or minimally processing. Inactivation mechanism of the irradiation mainly involves the formation of reactive species that further instigate the process by reacting with the cell constituents and DNA of the microorganisms. Nowadays, irradiation alone, or in combination with other conventional methods of preservation, has been used to enhance the shelf life of fresh-cut produce. In this review, the factors on which application of irradiation depends, and the effects of irradiation on food components are discussed, and the selected applications of this technology are summarized.