DNA is a large molecule particularly sensitive to ionizing radiation, which
suffers several kinds of damage: fragmentation resulting from both singlestrand
and double-strand breaks, denaturation of the DNA helix, crosslinking
(e.g., production of thymine dimers, or between DNA and a protein)
and base damage.1–3 It causes primarily single strand breaks (SSBs) in
genomic DNA, in addition to double strand breaks (DSBs) at ratios of SSB/
DSB of 20/1 to 70/1, as well as some detectable membrane damage.4 In
foods, this DNA susceptibility is the cause of death of most if not all living
contaminants, such as microorganisms, insects, or parasites,4 and is also
the cause of changes in the food’s DNA itself, which can reflect on various
morphological and physiological features.
