Could x-ray or other high energy device alter rice grains?

[kenny1999]

I almost always buy food from local market but recently I want to buy some rice (and probably other foods later) overseas which will be imported through our customs, so most likely the food will be scanned through x-ray or other high energy devices that I don't know, could rice grains or other food be altered adversely after passing through those scanning devices?

 

[Drakkith]

The X-Rays will mostly just pass right through. The small portion that is absorbed will knock some electrons out of the orbitals and perhaps split some molecules apart, but we're talking a very, very small portion. Not enough to adversely affect any food.

 

[kenny1999]

The X-Rays will mostly just pass right through. The small portion that is absorbed will knock some electrons out of the orbitals and perhaps split some molecules apart, but we're talking a very, very small portion. Not enough to adversely affect any food.

How about other possible scanning devices in addition to x-ray? Thanks

 

[Drakkith]

How about other possible scanning devices in addition to x-ray? Thanks

The only other scanning devices I'm aware of use lower energy EM radiation, such as infrared and microwaves, which are not of a high enough energy to ionize atoms and molecules. Thus, they don't damage the food at all.

In any case, any scanning technology used in customs is going to be virtually harmless to food when used properly. Damaging food or other items would be a serious consequence that would not go unnoticed by companies selling these products.

 

[Rive]

After this process, it's still food.

Even safer than before, actually

You have nothing to fear from them being simply scanned.

 

[hutchphd]

A common misconception is that irradiation will make the food "radioactive". Essentially this only occurs when the radiation is neutrons: either primary neutrons as from a nuclear reactor; or secondary from a daughter decay initiated by a high energy X-ray. Neither process is possible from the radiation used to sanitize food against bacteria and insect infestation.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Could x-ray or other high energy device alter rice grains?

Not as much as cooking them.