After many long years of research into the safety and feasibility of food irradiation, it is a preservation method whose "time may have come." The method is comparable to traditional food preservation methods such as canning, freezing and fumigation, albeit with some advantages. Food irradiation can be made safe and effective by carefully controlling the radiation dose. Both Canada and the U.S. have established strict regulations for all aspects of food irradiation - from the design of irradia.