National Symposium on “Radiation Processing of Foods, Food products and Feeds” |
Place: Hyderabad |
Venue: Jubilee Hall |
Time: 9:30 A.M. |
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Date: 8th and 9th September 2006 |
Food irradiation is one additional food safety tool that serves as a complement to other food safety technologies. It is the process of exposing food products to radiant energy. This process produces various preservation effects, from delaying spoilage, to killing harmful bacteria. Foods are irradiated by using ionizing energy (gamma rays, electron beams, or X-rays) for a specified length of time. Food irradiation is best applied to foods at the end of food processing, as close to moving into the consumer marketplace as possible. The process of food irradiation is also called “Cold Pasteurization,” because it eliminates harmful bacteria without the use of heat. |
Radiation processing ensures hygienic quality of foods including frozen foods by eliminating food borne pathogens and parasitic organisms and it is a better way to preserve foods and as an environmental-friendly alternative to chemical fumigants and for quarantine treatment against insect pests in agricultural and horticultural products entering into international trade.
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The safety and nutritional adequacy of irradiated foods for human consumption is well established. About 52 countries including India have adequate regulations permitting irradiated foods and 28 countries have irradiation food processing industries and institutional catering. Over 40 types of food products have been approved for irradiation around the World. |
Advent of food irradiation : |
It is imperative at this juncture to recall that India has been the first country to initiate a study on the genetic effects of irradiated wheat at the first Cobalt-60 unit established by the Department of Genetics, Osmania University for the studies in radiation biology with the help of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in 1972. The then Head, Department of Genetics, Prof. O.S. Reddi with generous financial assistance from The Indian Council of Agricultural Research has conducted experiments on the long term effects of irradiated foods to screen any genetic effects in the entire spectrum of spermatogenesis of the males fed on irradiated wheat and mated to a specially designed stock of seven specific recessive loci female stock obtained with the courtesy of Dr. W. L. Russell the then Head, Division of Radiation Biology , Oakridge National Laboratory, USA. Around 319 males were fed on irradiated wheat and mated to the marker stock. Around 33474 F1 off-springs were obtained from the treated males and checked for any genetic mutations. The results of this long term experiment were published in the International Journal of Radiation Biology from 1977 onwards that gave a clean chit to the safety of irradiated wheat. |
(Ref: 1. O.S. Reddi et al, International Journal of Radiation Biology 1977, Vol: 31, No. 6, 589 – 601,
2. O.S. Reddi et al, International Journal of Radiation Biology 1981, Vol: 39, No. 2, 217 – 219,
3. O.S. Reddi et al, International Journal of Radiation Biology 1981, Vol: 41, No. 3, 347 – 349) |
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has pioneered in radiation processing of foods since three decades that has effectively demonstrated that radiation processing of foods contribute to the nation’s food security by decreasing the post-harvest losses caused by pest infestation and microbial spoilage, by conducting a wide array of biological experiments in various test systems on the effect of irradiated wheat by the then Biomedical group. This process has opened immense commercial potential for the conservation of cereals, pulses, spices, potatoes, onions, garlic and some tropical foods, sea food, meat, poultry and pork.
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There was a short spell of time in India that lead to a controversy about this issue which was resolved by the publication of results of similar studies conducted by various countries like the then Soviet Union, UK and USA reinforcing the results obtained by BARC and the Department of Genetics, Osmania University. This has culminated in to clearance by WHO and FAO in 1979. |
Realizing the tremendous potential of this technology BARC has undertaken a progressive and dynamic step to develop Cobalt-60 units for commercial operation that are in use today to exploit the great potential in processing industries. |
Decades of research in the USA and other countries have supported the safety and wholesomeness of foods irradiated under GMP. A number of organization including the WHO, FAO, Codex Alimentarius, FDA, American Dietetic Association, Institute of Food and Science Technologies, Institute of Food technologies, Council for Agricultural Science and Technologies, have concluded that irradiation of food is safe and an effective way to eliminate food borne contaminants. |
Food irradiation does not make foods radioactive because the process moves food through the energy field never touching the energy source. It is similar to how light passes through a window. The process produces little change in flavour or odour. Nutrient content is affected similarly to that with cooking, canning or freezing. |
Most food irradiation facilities utilize the radioactive element cobalt-60 as the source of high energy gamma rays. These gamma rays have sufficient energy to dislodge electrons from some food molecules, thereby converting them in to ions (electrically charged particles). Gamma rays do not have enough energy to affect the neutrons in the nuclei of these molecules; therefore, they are not capable of inducing radioactivity in the food. Some irradiation facilities use Cesium-137 as a source of gamma rays while others use machines to produce X-rays or beams of electrons. Again, none of these sources produce beams of high enough energy to induce the formation of radioactive isotopes in foods. |
All the energy sources do cause the production of ions and free radicals (reactive compounds with unpaired electrons), including transient high energy oxygen radicals, which kill or damage pathogenic organisms. Since gamma rays from Cobalt-60 can penetrate several feet while electrons produced by electron beam facilities penetrate only few inches, Cobalt-60 is usually the preferred source of radiation for food. Irradiation dosage is a function of the energy of the radiation source and the time of exposure. Doses are usually expressed in kiloGrays (kGy); 1 Gray is equivalent to 1 Joule of absorbed radiation /kg tissue or 100 rads. These radiation doses can be directly related to extent of killing of bacterial pathogens.
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The FAO/WHO International Consultative Group on Food Irradiation which has the mandate to evaluate and advise on the global activities of food irradiation, the United States Government and some research associations/institutes expressed favorable opinion on food irradiation. The main arguments are that according to the scientific community, food irradiation is safe and contributes to increasing consumer protection by destroying harmful organisms in food (red meat, poultry, etc). The technique, if applied using food manufacturing practice, will not substitute for good hygiene practices. |
With the advent of globalization and high potential of export market of agricultural products, it is imperative to have this technology adopted in India with a view to accelerate the exports of agriculture products across the globe. |
Consumer interest in food safety world wide is greater than ever and is collected regularly by the news media. Since 1992 outbreak of food borne illnesses in ground beef, interest in analytical technologies for the identification of pathogenic bacteria in food has grown tremendously. Additionally there have been vast advances in technologies, such as radiation processing (irradiation) of food and new microbial washes and bacterial sprays to eliminate the harmful microbes from food products during processing, however rare the occurrence of bacteria may be rapid assays enable quick response to potential food safety problems, which includes DNA finger prints. |
Clearances for Radiation Processed Foods : |
The Government of India has permitted radiation processing of the following food items for domestic marketing and consumption. The food items allowed for irradiation permissible limits of radiation and the purpose of irradiation are depicted below. |
Food Item |
Radiation Dose
(kGy*) |
Purpose |
Minimum |
Maximum |
Onions |
0.03 |
0.09 |
Sprout inhibition |
Potatoes |
0.06 |
0.15 |
Sprout inhibition |
| Shallots (Small onions) garlic, ginger |
0.03 |
0.15 |
Sprout inhibition |
| Rice, semolina (sooji or rawa), atta (wheat flour) and maida (refined wheat flour) |
0.25 |
1.0 |
Insect disinfestations |
Pulses |
0.25 |
1.0 |
Insect disinfestations |
Dried sea-foods |
0.25 |
1.0 |
Insect disinfestations |
Raisins, dried figs and dates |
0.25 |
0.75 |
Insect disinfestations |
Mango |
0.25 |
0.75 |
Shelf-life extension and quarantine treatment for export trade |
Meat and meat products including chicken |
0.25 |
4.0 |
Shelf-life extension and pathogen control |
Spices |
6.0 |
14.0 |
Microbial decontamination |
Fresh sea-foods |
1.0 |
3.0 |
Shelf-life extension |
Frozen sea-foods |
4.0 |
6.0 |
Microbial pathogen control |
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Gray (Gy = 1 Joule/kg. 1 kilogray (kGy = 1000 Gy)
*kilogray (kGy) in SI unit of energy absorbed by food from ionizing radiation |
With a view to focus on the availability of Radiation Processing, technology that has high potential in the production of exports oriented products as well as extension of shelf life of products a National Symposium on Radiation Processing of Foods, Food products and Feeds is being conducted by the Federation of Farmers Associations in association with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) on 8th and 9th September 2006 at Jubilee Hall, Public Gardens, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
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The novel feature of the Symposium is the interactive discussion between scientists – technologists, managers of user industries– food processing industries-domestic as well as export sectors and financial institutions so as to create a conducive climate in food processing and enable them to gain better opportunities in international trade. |
The presence of leaders of food processing industries in this national Symposium either their esteemed presence or by deputed persons will lead to the creation of a favourable environment for understanding the extensive utilization of this technology after interactive discussions. |
| Focal Points : |
- Biosafety /Physical/Chemical/Biochemical/Microbiological aspects of food irradiation.
- Comparison with other food safety technologies.
- Consumer acceptability – Colour, Taste, Texture, Olfaction – Necessity for labeling
- Domestic and export potentials in India.
- Global Scenario of approvals.
- Commercial feasibilities for the establishment of food irradiation units.
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Irradiation as an effective alternative to some pesticides. E.g. A substitute to the fumigant used for pest control during storage or for quarantine required in international commerce.
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In this connection, a publication containing all aspects of application of radiation technology in processing various foods, food products and feeds is to be released for the information of the public at large. |
An exhibition of processed foods, food products and feeds is being arranged as a part of the Symposium and all the leaders of the global food processing industries are expected to participate. |
Prof. O. S. Reddi.
Scientific Advisor. |
