Kerala - Thrissur   

Gamma radiation chamber installed at KAU

Staff Reporter

THRISSUR: A Gamma chamber 5000 for production of safe and quality meat has been set up at the Department of Livestock Products Technology of the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), using a grant from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC). The chamber will be formally inaugurated in October.

P. Kuttinarayanan, Head of the Department of Livestock Products Technology, said this is the first time that the BARC is offering the facility, under its Basic Research in Nuclear Science project, to an agricultural university in the country for studies in meat production and preservation.

Of the Rs.49.25 lakh-grant, Rs.27 lakhs has been spent for installing the chamber.

"Gamma radiation is one method to check spoilage. By radiation, parasitic larvae in meat such as cysticercus bovis and cysticercus cellulosae are killed," Dr. Kuttinarayanan said.

Irradiation of food has been a much-debated issue. "No harmful effects have been reported so far. Many countries have been using this technology since the 1950s. Irradiation with cobalt leaves no residual radiation in food," Dr. Kuttinarayanan said.

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