Radicidation

Radicidation is a specific application of food irradiation in which a lower dose of ionizing radiation, generally between 2 and 8 kilograys, is applied to food to reduce pathogenic bacteria to undetectable levels rather than to sterilize the food completely. The same term also describes irradiation doses of 0.1 to 1 kilogray used to destroy parasites such as tapeworm and trichina in meat. When the technique targets Salmonella specifically it is sometimes called Salmonella radicidation. The word combines radiation with the Latin caedere, meaning to fell or kill.