Food that is irradiated uses radioactive gamma sources, or a high energy beam. This energy breaks up the molecular structure of food, forming positively and negatively charged particles known as free radicals.
With ANZFA’s approval of herbs and spices for irradiation, they are, no doubt, poised to use it as a springboard for flooding the market with a new wave of irradiated foods. The NZ Herald article back in 2002 ‘proclaiming that a NZ firm backing bid to zap food’ should send shivers down the spines of those understanding this obvious method of denaturing food. Furthermore, the remark by Don Turner of Turners & Growers -“In 25 years no problem has ever been detected”, does not alleviate the concern.