Refrigeration & Equipment Engineering

Unit 8 - Irradiation

8.3.Advantages of radiation processing of food
Irradiation is a cold process and can be used to pasteurize and sterilize foods without causing changes in freshness and texture of food unlike heat. Unlike chemical fumigants, irradiation does not leave any harmful toxic residues in food and is more effective. It is efficient and can be used to treat prepacked commodities.Four major functions achieved by radiation processing of food are:

• Disinfestations of insect pests in stored products.
• Inhibition of sprouting of tubers and bulbs and delay in ripening of fruits.
• Destruction of microbes responsible for spoilage.
• Elimination of pathogens and parasites of public health importance.

Laws and regulations enacted by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board govern operations of irradiators used to process non-food products, such as medical supplies. Three such irradiators are operating in India and bout 160 around the world. The plants which must be approved by the Government before construction are subject to regular inspection, safety audits, and other reviews to ensure that they are safely and properly operated. Similar controls would be applicable for radiation processing facilities.

At the international level, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have laid down standards for good manufacturing practices (GMP) and good irradiation practices (GIP) for a number of foods. They cover all aspects of treatment, handling, storage and distribution of food. The guidelines emphasize that, as with all food preservation techniques, effective quality control systems need to be installed and adequately monitored at critical control points at the irradiation facility.