Result of the Assay of Radiation Sterilized Beef for Induced Radioactivity

Abstract : Samples of beef sterilized by ionizing radiation were assayed using a NaI(Tl) detector and a multichannel analyzer to determine if measurable quantities of radioactivity had been induced during the irradiation process. The spectra obtained from each of two hundred sixty-one irradiated samples were compared with those obtained from 25 unirradiated controls, and no evidence of induced radioactivity was noted. Averaged spectra from irradiated samples, controls and the differences are presented in an appendix. Computer programs used in the data reduction are described briefly and the mechanisms of activation, if any, are reviewed.