Food irradiation may be used only for the following purposes:
- to reduce the incidence of food-borne disease by destroying pathogenic organisms,
- to reduce spoilage of foodstuffs by retarding or arresting decay processes and destroying spoilage organisms,
- to reduce loss of foodstuffs by premature ripening, germination or sprouting,
- to rid foodstuffs of organisms harmful to plant or plant products.
