Mutagenicity and cytotoxicity of irradiated foods and food components.

The preservation of foods by treatment with ionizing radiation can significantly increase the world's food resources by reducing spoilage and waste. However, irradiation can bring about chemical transformations in food and food components resulting in the formation of potential mutagens, particularly hydrogen peroxide and various organic peroxides. In order to evaluate the safety of irradiated foods for general consumption by the public, and, indeed, the safety of all foods subjected to environmental factors such as food additives, pesticides, drugs, air and water pollutants, etc., it is necessary to supplement the usual feeding tests with procedures designed to detect all classes of genetic damage. This article includes a comprehensive critical review of (1) the experimental evidence relating to the presence of mutagenic and cytotoxic agents in irradiated media, as detected by their effects on mammalian and non-mammalian cells; (2) the chemical changes produced in irradiated media, especially those which produce known mutagenic substances; and (3) new and convenient in vivo methods for the detection and evaluation of genetic damage in mammals.