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Why does food irradiation delay spoilage without making food radioactive?

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detector output connected to a measuring circuit — radiation measurement Figure 1: (A) A simple equivalent circuit for the development of a voltage pulse at the output of a detector. R represents the resistance and C the capacitance of the circuit; V(t) is the time (t)-dependent voltage produced. (B) A representative current pulse due to the interaction of a single quantum in the detector. The total charge Q is obtained by integrating the area of the current, i(t), over the collection time, t_c. (C) The resulting voltage pulse that is developed across the circuit of (A) for the case of a long circuit time constant. The amplitude (V_max) of the pulse is equal to the charge Q divided by the capacitance C.

Food irradiation delays spoilage by utilizing ionizing radiation to damage the nucleic acid molecules and cellular membranes of bacteria and other pathogens. This process inhibits the ability of these microorganisms to grow and reproduce, effectively extending the shelf life of the food.1

The concern that food becomes radioactive is inaccurate because the energy levels used in this process are strictly controlled. The maximum energy emitted by common sources, such as 60Co and 137Cs, is far too low to induce radioactivity in food products. Similarly, the energy output of electron-beam generators is carefully regulated to remain well below the threshold required to cause radioactivity. Large-scale studies by organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the World Health Organization have confirmed that irradiation at recommended doses is safe and does not cause harmful reactions in food.2