Irradiation of dairy products: A real alternative to heat treatment?

Irradiation is an effective and efficient alternative method to heat treatment for preserving or extending the shelf life of foods. It could also be useful for milk products where accidentally occurring pathogens may be eliminated at doses of 3.5-4 kGy, while at the same time keeping the typical microflora. This preliminary study of process conditions of irradiation can provide a method for detecting irradiated cheese.