This reference guide is intended for anyone who requires a source book on food irradiation, including those in the manufacturing and retail industries, and teachers and students in academia. The extent of the information covering food irradiation is impressive but it is scattered throughout a vast literature. Our aim is to provide basic information about the major aspects of food irradiation and also to simplify access to the more detailed information that is available. The use of an alphabetical format with cross referencing facilitates access to information on the many aspects of food irradiation, including microbiology, food products, safety, nutrition, toxicology, detection methods and legislation. With such a wide range of sciences within the field of food irradiation, the authors felt a real need for help with some aspects of the topic. In this regard we would like to express our thanks to Dr David Kilcast, Leatherhead Food RA, UK, and to Dr John Woolston, Isotron, UK, for scrutinizing key parts of the text and for making valuable suggestions for improvement. Particular thanks go to Dr Paisan Loaharanu, Joint FAODAEA Division for Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, for his help and comments, and for contributing the Foreword to this volume. For help in obtaining literature on food irradiation, we are indebted to the Leatherhead Food RA for permission to use library resources, and to the staff of the Library and the Scientific and Technical Information Department. In addition, we would like to thank Allison Ross, MeV industrie S.A., France, and Michelle Mar- cotte, Nordian International Inc., Canada, for information and illustrations, and Dr Mike Wilkinson for his computing expertise. We hope that this guide will assist those who are interested in realizing the potential of food irradiation as an effective, safe and accepted food preservation method.