An Economic Analysis of Electron Accelerators and Cobalt-60 for Irradiating Food

Rosanna Mentzer Morrison

No 33589, Technical Bulletins from United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service

Abstract: Average costs per pound of irradiating food are similar for the electron accelerator and cobalt-60 irradiators analyzed in this study, but initial investment costs can vary by $1 million. Irradiation costs range from 0.5 to 7 cents per pound and decrease as annual volumes treated increase. Cobalt-60 is less expensive than electron beams for annual volumes below 50 million pounds. For radiation source requirements above the equivalent of 1 million curies of cobalt-60, electron beams are more economical.

Keywords: Food; Consumption/Nutrition/Food; Safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 47
Date: 1989
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:uerstb:33589

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.33589

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