Radioactive isotopes are atoms with unstable nuclei that may be found in nature or by scientists in laboratories. Radioisotopes have a huge and important effect on the technologies that provide us with food, water and good health. Scientists, doctors and even people around the world have always struggled with food poisoning and food spoilage due to insects, fungi or bacteria that can cause human disease or cause food spoilage. Food irradiation is the process by which food is made safer and more resistant to spoilage allowing it to have a longer shelf life and be in better condition as it kills disease-causing organisms and slows or eliminates those that cause spoilage leading it to become able to stay cooler for a longer period of time. The radioisotopes most commonly used to irradiate foods are cobalt-60 and cesium-137. Food irradiation has numerous advantages and some disadvantages that both have their cultural, health and economic effects (uses of radioisotopes). In the process of food irradiation, the food is exposed to gamma rays or X-rays emitted by one of two radioisotopes. cobalt-60 or cesium-137 (The Food Irradiation Process). Food irradiation has been around since the 1950s but has been used more widely in recent years. In Asia, particularly China, there are 3 large gamma irradiators that irradiated 140,000 tons of food in 2005, a huge increase from the 80,000 tons irradiated in 2001. And in India there are two demonstration plants using cobalt-60 to one treatment 30 tonnes per day and the other 10 tonnes per day, and although India mainly uses cobalt-60, some beam plants are also in planning. As for the United States, there are 50 irradiation facilities over...... half of the paper......• Irradiated fruits. Digital image. Chemistry at Duke. Network. 24 September 2011. .• Irradiated foods. Digital image. Yellow canary alert. Network. 24 September 2011. .• Percentage of interviewees before and after Info 1+2. Online image. Choices. Network. 08 October 2011. .• "Radioactive isotope". Kids.Net.Au - Encyclopedia. Network. 21 September 2011. .• Clearing. Digital image. UW Food Irradiation Training Group. Network. 24 September 2011. .• "Uses of radioisotopes". Help from Mr. Kent's Chemistry Regents. Network. 22 September. 2011. .