THE ANALYSIS OF THE CAUSES INFLUENCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOOD IRRADIATION COMMERCIALIZATION

The various causes and factors influencing the development of food irradiation into commercialization are fully analysed in the paper. These causes and factors, their associated manifestations as well as the effective methods for resolving the problems are discussed also. The factors are the following. (1) Psychological barrier of fearing radiation and nuclear things; (2) Force of habit; (3) Barriers set bylaws and regulations; (4) Poor economic benefit; (5) Radiation accidents caused by the poor management and safety system; (6) Ot-hers, for example, the short of supply and the high price of cobalt-60 sources; necessity of the standardization of the methods of high dose measurement and the instrument; necessity of the internationai cooperation in combined processing of food irradiation and promotion of development in specially designated regions for some given foods; how to educate and propagate the knowledge of irradiated food to the public; and the selection/design of gamma irradiators, etc The paper points that the main causes which influence the development of food irradiation in China are the following; No enough supply of proper foods sent to be irradiated, hence, low utilization efficiency of time for irradiators, and poor economic benefit. A greater development in the food irradiation field will come after 10 years, which is undoubted from the author's point of view.