Irradiation of Packaging Materials in Contact with Food: An Update

Irradiation of prepackaged foods is a safety concern because irradiation can induce changes to the packaging materials resulting in formation of breakdown products that migrate into foods. The irradiation of food and/or packaging materials is subject to the food additive provisions of the Federal, Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Therefore, the packaging materials holding food being irradiated are required to undergo premarket authorization prior to use. The safety evaluation for these packaging materials relies on an assessment of the radiolysis products (RPs) that could form and potentially migrate to the food inside the package. As the identities of the RPs are likely unknown, such assessments have presented new challenges to FDA and the food industry. This book chapter describes the current authorizations of packaging materials used to hold food during irradiation, radiation-induced chemical changes in polymeric packaging materials, and methods for evaluating the irradiation of packaging materials.