Rationale behind radiation processing of foods

Dr S Gautam, Head, Food Technology Division, Bioscience Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), & Professor, Homi Bhabha National Institute

Food is perhaps the most precious commodity on the earth as it is important for the sustainability of life. Mankind can ill afford these losses. However, a significant proportion of the agricultural produce undergoes post-harvest spoilage involving biological and physical damages owing to various factors including insect pest infestation, contamination with microbes and other associated physiological processes. In this context, food processing by ionizing radiation could serve as a highly effective and worthy alternative.

Food irradiation refers to a radiation processing modality in which the food products are treated with ionizing radiation from approved sources in a very precise and controlled manner to accomplish the desired technological objective(s) with respect to food preservation. Multiple value-added benefits of radiation processing include reducing post-harvest losses of bulbs (onions) and tubers (potato) through control of sprouting and associated losses, pest-disinfestation in food grains (cereals and pulses), microbial hygienization of dried herbs and spices, phytosanitary treatment of fruits and vegetables to overcome quarantine barrier for promoting international trade as well as shelf-life extension of readyto-eat/ ready to cook processed food products.

Genesis of food irradiation

In 1950 the United States Atomic Energy Commission initiated a coordinated research programme on the use of ionizing radiation for food preservation. Under this programme it started using spent fuel rods from nuclear reactors as a source of ionizing radiation. Soon it found several limitations of using spent fuel rods. It led to the development and use of cobalt-60, an artificially produced radioisotope from neutron irradiation of cold cobalt-59, that mainly emitted highly penetrating Gamma rays of reasonable energy. Approved radiation sources for food irradiation applications include Cobalt-60 and Cesium-137 radioisotopes, electron beam (≤10 MeV) or X-ray (≤7.5MeV) in a controlled manner in a food irradiation facility.

To read more click on the link:https://nuffoodsspectrum.in/e-magazine