Context
In India, Gamma irradiation technology for food preservation is already been shared with private players and presently 26 Gamma Radiation Processing Plants are operational in the country in private, semi-government and government sector for irradiation of various products.
What is Gamma irradiation technology for food preservation?
- Gamma irradiation technology is used for the preservation or shelf life extension by applying pre-determined radiation doses.
- This technology is used to inhibit-
- sprouting in bulbs and tubers
- insect disinfestation of cereals, pulses, and grains
- microbial decontamination (hyalinization) of dry spices etc.
- Factors impacting the result of technology: post-irradiation storage, the time-lapse between irradiation and distribution to users, and the total quantity of irradiated food products.
Significance of privatization
- The setting of food irradiation facilities in the Public-Private mode mitigates the huge quantum of post-harvest and storage losses of agricultural produce and food.
- This will result in national savings.
Sources of food irradiation
- Gamma Rays: Cobalt 60
- Electronic Beam
- X-Ray
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Terminal Processing: Due to the penetration depth of the ionizing radiation, the products can be processed in fully sealed, final packaging. This limits risk of contamination after the sterilization.
- Cold Method/Temperature Independence: Radiation sterilization has no heat dependence and is efficient at ambient temperature and sub-zero temperatures also. It is also compatible with temperature-sensitive materials, such as pharmaceuticals and the biological samples.
- Chemical Independence: No volatile and toxic chemicals are needed for radiation. In the case of X-ray or e-beam irradiation, no end products which require disposal are generated during the procedure.
- No residue: Radiation does not leave residue on the sterilized product.
- Flexibility: Radiation can sterilize the products of any phase (gaseous, liquid, or solid materials).
- Time efficiency: The E-beam sterilization can be completed in seconds to minutes.
- Sterility assurance level (SAL): Radiation treatment yields a high SAL of 10-6 or better, which ensures that less than one out of a million microorganisms survive the sterilization procedure.
Disadvantages
- Instrumentation: The capital costs are high and specialization facilities are often needed. Gamma radiation requires a nuclear reactor; E-beam/X-ray radiation is generated by using electron beam accelerators.
- Product Degradation: Radiation-based methods are not compatible with all the packaging materials and can cause its breakdown.
- Radioactive material: Radiation sterilization requires handling and disposal of the radioactive material.
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