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

by Rosanna Mentzer Morrison

ERS estimated the installation and operating costs for two types of irradiation: an electron beam system or a Cobalt-60 gamma ray system. The capital costs of food irradiation equipment depend primarily on the irradiation source, food product, plant volume, and facility design. Economics of scale were estimated for plants processing different volumes.

Keywords: Food irradiation, electron accelerators, Cobalt-60, cost comparison, economies of size

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