Why Is Cobalt-60 Used In Food Preservation?

In many countries, food irradiation with cobalt-60 is routinely used to prevent sprouting or rotting, to delay ripening, and to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

How does Co-60 help in food preservation?

The action of gamma rays radiation, emitted for instance by a cobalt-60 source, leads to ruptures of chemical bonds in their interaction with the matter of living organisms. This phenomenon allow an efficient and reliable elimination of bacteria, fungi and parasites in food.

Why should cobalt-60 be used?

What is it used for? Co-60 is used medically for radiation therapy as implants and as an external source of radiation exposure. It is used industrially in leveling gauges and to x-ray welding seams and other structural elements to detect flaws. Co-60 also is used for food irradiation, a sterilization process.

Which radioactive isotope is used for food preservation?

cobalt-60
The two most common sources of high-energy radiation used in the food industry are cobalt-60 (⁶⁰Co) and cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs). For the same level of energy, gamma rays have a greater penetrating power into foods than high-speed electrons.

What is the used of Kobalt 60 in the food processing industries?

Because of its excellent penetrating power, cobalt-60 enables treatment of products in their final hermetically sealed packaging, ensuring sterility until the product is removed from its package and put into use.

Is Cobalt 60 used in food preservation?

In many countries, food irradiation with cobalt-60 is routinely used to prevent sprouting or rotting, to delay ripening, and to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Can Cobalt 60 destroy bacteria?

The gamma irradiation process uses Cobalt 60 radiation to kill microorganisms on a variety of different products in a specially designed cell. Gamma radiation is generated by the decay of the radioisotope Cobalt 60, with the resultant high energy photons being an effective sterilant.

What are 3 important uses of cobalt?

Cobalt is also used to make airbags in automobiles; catalysts for the petroleum and chemical industries; cemented carbides (also called hardmetals) and diamond tools; corrosion- and wear-resistant alloys; drying agents for paints, varnishes, and inks; dyes and pigments; ground coats for porcelain enamels; high-speed

What happens if you eat cobalt-60?

Cobalt- 60 can be swallowed with food or inhaled in dust. Once in the body, some of it is quickly eliminated in the feces. The rest is absorbed into the blood and tissues, mainly the liver, kidney, and bones. This cobalt leaves the body slowly, mainly in the urine.

What are the main uses of cobalt?

Uses Of Cobalt
Cobalt is used in many alloys & super alloys to make parts in aircraft engines, gas turbines, high-speed steels, corrosion-resistant alloys, and cemented carbides. It is used in magnets and magnetic recording media. It is also used as a catalyst for the petroleum and chemical industries.

Which element is used as a food preservative?

Sodium Benzoate is used as a food preservative as it has anti-fungal properties.

What element is used in food preservation?

Common antimicrobial preservatives include calcium propionate, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite, sulfites (sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfite, potassium hydrogen sulfite, etc.), and EDTA. Antioxidants include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT).

What is the importance of isotopes in food preservation?

In addition to inhibiting spoilage, irradiation can delay ripening of fruits and vegetables to give them greater shelf-life. Its ability to control pests and reduce required quarantine periods has been the principal factor behind many countries adopting food irradiation practices.

How does a cobalt-60 work?

Cobalt-60 systems, like the Gamma Knife, deliver radiation beams through 192 circular pinholes in a fixed helmet worn by the patient. The pinhole radiation meets at the tumor site, delivering a high dose, while the surrounding healthy tissue and critical brain structures receive minimal radiation.

What type of metal can be used for food processing?

Stainless Steel
Popular Food Safe Stainless Steel
Most food processing equipment is made from 304 or 316 austenitic stainless steels. While OptiMIM offers a variety of stainless steels for metal injection molding, MIM-316L is most widely used when it comes to components that are safe for food and clean water.

What are the properties of cobalt-60?

Cobalt (chemical symbol Co) is a hard, gray-blue metal that is solid under normal conditions. Cobalt is similar to iron and nickel in its properties and can be magnetized like iron. The most common radioactive isotope.

Which oxide is used in the preserve food?

Ferrous iron oxides are the most reliable and commonly used oxygen absorbers within the food industry.

Is isotope of cobalt used in food preservation?

It is produced by irradiating the stable isotope cobalt-59 with neutrons in a nuclear reactor. Cobalt-60 is used in the inspection of materials to reveal internal structure, flaws, or foreign objects and in the sterilization of food. In medicine, it is used to treat cancer and to sterilize medical equipment.

Which sterilization process uses cobalt-60?

gamma-radiation sterilization
This article describes how cobalt-60 is produced and used in gamma-radiation sterilization, and how it is disposed of once it has reached the end of its useful life.

What disease can Cobalt-60 Treat?

cancer
Medical-grade Cobalt-60 is used worldwide to battle cancer and for radiation therapy for the treatment of complex brain conditions.

Is Cobalt-60 natural or man made?

Cobalt-60 is not found in nature. It is a synthetic radioactive isotope made by neutron activation of Cobalt-59. Cobalt-60 is produced off site in nuclear reactors and transported in special shipping containers (casks) to the sterilization facility.