Question

How can treating food with ionizing radiation help keep it from spoiling? UV is not very penetrating. What else could be used?

Short answer

Using the high energy of the UV helps to kill all the bacterium in the food and prevent it from spoiling. We can use ꝩ- rays since it has also had high energy and a smaller wavelength which gives higher penetration ability.

Step-by-step solution

UV rays radiation

Since UV does have high energy (approximately 4eVto300eV), high energy has the ability to disrupt cell reproduction and alter molecules. It also can kill a bacterium which helps keep food from spoiling.

Radiation in rays

Also single ꝩ- ray and X-ray photons can do the same function as they have higher energy than UV rays so they also can be used to keep food protected.

Therefore, using the high energy of the UV helps to kill all the bacterium in the food and prevent it from spoiling. We can use ꝩ -rays since it has also had high energy and smaller wavelength which gives higher penetration ability.