With the recent opening in Florida of the first U.S. food irradiation processing plant, debate over the desirability of that technology has resurfaced. Fears that the irradiation process might change the chemical makeup of food, decrease its nutritional value or result in biological mutations are unfounded, according to a UC Davis scientist who has been studying food irradiation for 14 years. "Radiation is nothing new -- just another form of energy that we can use," says Manuel Lagunas-Solar, a research chemist at the UC Davis Crocker Nuclear Laboratory. Food irradiation involves the exposure of food products to low doses of radiation in order to kill insects, bacteria and fungi, which would normally spoil the food. "It is certainly as safe, if not safer, than the use of chemical pesticides and fungicides, and heat treatments, which are the alternative methods," says Lagunas-Solar. Scientific studies have detected no significant chemical or nutritional losses in the treated foods, nor have biological mutations been found, he adds. "Food irradiation is safe and deals efficiently with the problem of food contaminants" says Lagunas-Solar. "Among the scientific community, safety is no longer an issue. However, economic viability and public acceptance for the large-scale use of this process remain to be demonstrated," he adds.