Food irradiation is safe: Half a century of studies

•Food irradiation is safe and can benefit food safety, security and trade.•Commercial use remains limited.•The food trade tends to believe consumers will not buy irradiated food.•There is good evidence that consumers buy irradiated food when it is offered.•Demonstrating this evidence to industry is vital for commercial success.

The potential benefits of food irradiation are yet to be realized due to slow progress in the commercialization of the technology. Processing food with ionizing radiation has encountered several barriers, one of which is the belief that consumers will not purchase irradiated food and a consequent caution among food retailers and producers. There is sufficient evidence that consumers will purchase irradiated foods when offered at retail in contrast to the data from many surveys of general public opinion. Communicating this evidence to food retailers and producers is essential if a major barrier to a greater use of the technology is to be overcome.