Abstract <p>The article provides an overview of the current state of the application of radiation technologies for the treatment of food and biomedical objects both worldwide and in Russia. The history of the development of radiation technologies and their connection with the evolution of radiation-technical facilities used for the treatment of biological objects and materials is described. Characteristics of radiation sources and irradiation doses applied to food and biomedical objects are presented. The main international and domestic standards regulating the radiation treatment of food products and medical items, dosimetric control, and methods for identifying irradiated food are given. The article discusses the physical mechanisms of radiation effects on target microorganisms and surrounding biomacromolecules in irradiated biological objects. The main Russian research centers conducting studies in the field of radiation treatment of biological objects and materials are listed, as well as industrial centers providing radiation treatment services within the Russian Federation. The article also reviews the main directions and research results on optimizing radiation treatment of biological objects and materials conducted at the Department of Accelerator Physics and Radiation Medicine of the Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, over the past 15–20 years.</p>