Food irradiation has been in the news lately, and this news strongly favors the consideration of food irradiation as a practical, economical method for improving food safety and shelf life. This new edition of a popular guidebook provides an updated, detailed, readable survey of the past, present and future of food irradiation. It covers a wide variety of topics ranging from the scientific basics to an examination of the many objections to food irradiation. Also included is a detailed discussion of the role of food irradiation in preventing a variety of foodborne diseases.