Know more: Food Irradiation

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As the population rises daily, so does the world's food security crisis. An important aspect of food security is safety, and with Irradiation technology we inch closer to achieving this goal.

Food Irradiation is the method of passing Radiation through foodstuffs in order to make them safe for consumption and increase their shelf-life. There are three approved sources of radiation on food. Gamma rays, X-rays and Electron beams. Gamma rays are emitted from radioactive forms of the element cobalt (Cobalt 60) or of the element cesium (Cesium 137). X-rays are produced by reflecting a high-energy stream of electrons off a target substance into food. An electron beam (or e-beam) is similar to X-rays and is a stream of high-energy electrons propelled from an electron accelerator into food.

Food Irradiation can serve many purposes. Radiation can kill harmful microbes and insects. It can increase the shelf-life of the food by killing the larvae present in it which cannot be seen by the naked eye. It can also inhibit the ripening and sprouting of fruits and vegetables enabling them to be stored for longer periods.

A common concern surrounding irradiated food is whether it is safe to consume. It is important to understand that irradiating food doesn’t make it radioactive. Food regulatory bodies govern the level of radiation received by the foodstuffs. The energy of the incoming rays is not high enough for them to modify the nucleus of the food atom. Hence radioactivity cannot be induced and the food is safe to consume.

Currently, there are 19 food irradiation facilities spread across India. The approved foods include potatoes, onions, cereals etc. This processing is made available to farmers at relatively low prices by the government. If accessible by all farmers, this technology can serve as a powerful tool to tackle the food security crisis in India.

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