ON MARCH 1, 2007 the Ministry of Food Processing Industries issued an advertisement offering 25 per cent of the total cost of plant and machinery and technical civil work in general areas and 33.33 per cent in difficult areas subject to a maximum of Rs 5 crore for setting up food irradiation facilities in India. This will promote radiation processing of foods, a safe technology, in India.

Five irradiators are constructed and three are under construction. The Board of Radiation and Isotope Technology (BRIT) has signed MOUs with 7 other companies.

Mango irradiation

The process got a shot in the arm when the United States of America (USA) decided to import Indian mangoes by April this year. USA prefers irradiation to get rid of weevils and fruit fly from the fruits.

The administrative and legal procedures to start mango irradiation will be in place shortly. Then farmers can export mangoes to un-chartered markets.

We do not have precise data on food-borne diseases from different countries. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 76 million illnesses, 325,000 hospitalisations, and 5,000 deaths occur each year due to food-borne illnesses in the U.S.

Children vulnerable

Irradiation provides protection (that is unavailable by any other means) against food-borne illness.

Children, people over age 55, diabetics, and those whose immunity is compromised are especially vulnerable.

Harmful E-coli cause haemorrhagic colitis leading to high fever, vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. Patients with compromised immunity may suffer kidney damage. Six per cent of such patients die.

In 2006, the outbreak of food borne E.Coli O157 through spinach consumption led to 199 cases of illnesses, 102 hospitalisations, 31 cases of kidney damage and three deaths across 26 States in the United States. Irradiation is the only method, which can kill bacteria residing deep within a lettuce or spinach leaf without damaging the product.

In February 2006, the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), an independent professional qualifying body of scientists and technologists stated thus: "Irradiation, carried out under conditions of Good Manufacturing Practice, is commended as an effective, widely applicable food processing method judged to be safe on extensive available evidence, that can reduce the risk of food poisoning, control food spoilage and extend the shelf-life of foods without detriment to health and with minimal effect on nutritional or sensory quality".

View endorsed

The World Health Organization, the Food and Agricultural Organization and Codex Alimentarius Commission and many other bodies endorse this view. According to IFST, so far more than 50 countries have given approval for irradiation of more than 60 food products. Irradiation helps to preserve food, control sprouting of items such as potato and onion and control food-borne diseases.

It destroys or inactivates organisms that cause spoilage, thereby extending the shelf life of certain foods.

But foods must be kept in airtight bags to prevent re-infestation. The process does not leave any residue. The products remain closer to the fresh state in flavour, colour and texture. During the process, no liquid is added; it does not cause loss of natural juices.

As food irradiation is essentially a cold process, nutrient losses are significantly less than those associated with canning, drying and heat pasteurisation.

`Meltdown' impossible

Some patients with poor immunity and astronauts eat only irradiated foods. Irradiation of food with approved radiation sources will not make it radioactive.

It is also impossible for a `meltdown' to occur in a gamma irradiator facility.

The European Committee for Standardization of the European Commission has published six standards to identify irradiated food. Fat-containing irradiated food can be identified by gas chromatographic analysis of hydrocarbons.

If irradiated food contains cellulose or bone or crystalline sugar, electron spin resonance spectroscopy is used. Thermo-luminescence of the silicate fraction seen in spices is useful to identify irradiated spices. Photo-stimulated luminescence, DNA comet assay are also used in the case of some foods.

System of barriers

A system of interlocks and barriers ensures that no person can enter the radiation area when the sources are exposed. The staff employed at the facility are well trained and qualified.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) inspects the facilities periodically. The radiation doses to workers in the current facilities are only small fractions of the limit prescribed by AERB.

The Atomic Energy (Control of Irradiation of Foods) Rules 1996 and the relevant notifications issued under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954 are applicable to commercial irradiation of food in India.

K.S. PARTHASARATHY

Former Secretary, AERB
(ksparth@yahoo.co.uk)

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