What does the Irradiation of a Food Product mean?

What does the Irradiation of a Food Product mean?

Irradiation of Food 

Food irradiation is a technology that uses radiation to control food spoilage by destroying foodborne pathogens. Since the results are similar to pasteurisation it is also called “cold pasteurisation.” The difference is that pasteurisation uses heat to kill microorganisms, bacteria and viruses that may be present in the food whereas irradiation uses ionizing radiation.  The application is used to inhibit sprouting, delay ripening, and improve re-hydration.

Ionizing radiation damages DNA so that

• microorganisms stop growing and can no longer continue their pathogenic activities
• spoilage-causing micro-organisms cannot continue their activities
• insects do not survive, or become incapable of proliferation
• plant ripening or ageing process is delayed

How is food irradiated?

When bulk or packaged food passes through an irradiation chamber on a conveyor belt food is irradiated. The food does not come into contact with the radioactive material but passes through a radiation beam much like torchlight. The amount of irradiation depends on the type of food and the specific purpose for which irradiation is being used. The conveyor belt is important as the speed of the belt controls the exposure time to the food. The actual delivered dose is measured by dosimeters within the food containers. Cobalt-60 is the most commonly used radionuclide for food irradiation. However, there are also large cesium-137 irradiators and the army has also used spent fuel rods for irradiation.

Effects of ionizing radiation on food

• Causes disruption of internal metabolism of cells
• Causes DNA cleavage (also called spitting of DNA strands)
• Formation of free radicals
• Disrupts chemical bonds

Sources of Irradiation 

1. Electron irradiation beam uses electrons, accelerated in an electric field, to a velocity that is close to the speed of light. Electrons are particulate radiation and have cross section many times larger than photons. Electron beams do not penetrate the product beyond a few inches, depending on product density. 

2. Gamma radiation is radiation of photons in the gamma part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The radiation is obtained through the use of radioisotopes, generally Cobalt-60. Food irradiation using Cobalt-60 is the preferred method by most processors, because the deeper penetration enables administering treatment to entire industrial pallets or totes, reducing the need for material handling. 

Applications

The irradiation process has a wide range of uses and works with both large and small quantities of food. For example,

• a single serving of poultry can be irradiated for use on a space flight
• or a large quantity of potatoes can be treated to reduce sprouting during warehouse storage

Irradiation is most useful in four areas

Preservation 

Irradiation can destroy or inactivate organisms that cause spoilage and decomposition so self life increases.  Irradiation is an energy efficient food preservation method and has more advantages than traditional canning. Irradiated products resemble fresh state closely as the texture, flavor, and color are almost the same. Using irradiation to preserve foods does not require any additional liquid, nor does it cause the loss of natural juices. Food can be irradiated after being packaged or frozen.

Sterilization Foods that are sterilized by irradiation can be stored for years without refrigeration just like canned (heat sterilized) foods. With irradiation it is possible to develop new shelf-stable products. It is cold sterilization.

Control sprouting, ripening, and insect damage: Irradiation offers an alternative to chemicals for use with potatoes, tropical and citrus fruits, grains, spices, and seasonings. However, since no residue is left in the food, irradiation does not protect against re -infestation unlike insect sprays and fumigants.

Control of food pathogens Irradiation can be used to effectively  eliminate those pathogens that cause foodborne illness, such as Salmonella.

On the basis of the dose of radiation the application is generally divided into three main categories as detailed under. (The dose of radiation is measured in the SI unit known as Gray (Gy). One Gray (Gy) dose of radiation is equal to 1 joule of energy absorbed per kg of food material. In radiation processing of foods, the doses are generally measured in kGy (1,000 Gy)

Low Dose Applications (up to 1 kGy) for

• Sprout inhibition in bulbs and tubers 0.03-0.15 kGy
• Delay in fruit ripening 0.25-0.75 kGy
• Insect disinfestations including quarantine treatment and elimination of food borne parasites 0.07-1.00 kGy

Medium Dose Applications (1 kGy to 10 kGy) for

• Reduction of spoilage microbes to prolong shelf-life of meat, poultry and sea foods under refrigeration 1.50–3.00 kGy
• Reduction of pathogenic microbes in fresh and frozen meat, poultry and sea foods 3.00–7.00 kGy
• Reducing the number of microorganisms in spices to improve hygienic quality 10.00 kGy

High Dose Applications (above 10 kGy) for

• Sterilisation of packaged meat, poultry and their products which are shelf stable without refrigeration. 25.00-70.00 kGy
• Sterilisation of hospital diets 25.00-70.00 kGy
• Product improvement as increased juice yield or improved re-hydration

Advantages of Food Irradiation

• There is little or no heating of food
• Packaged or frozen foods can also be treated
• No chemicals are used for preservation of fresh foods
• Low energy requirements
• There is no comparable change in nutritional value
• High automation

Disadvantages of Food Irradiation 

• High capital costs
• Possible development of resistant MO
• Inadequate analytical procedures to detect irradiation in food
• Public resistance

Legal Status 

U.S.A. has approved irradiation for packaging material, spices, vegetable seasoning, poultry and ground beef. Another 35 countries have approved some form of food irradiation but the biggest hurdle is consumer acceptance. Many consumers have misconceptions about the technology and believe that it makes food radioactive. However, this is not so because food does not become radioactive with irradiation.

Potential uses of Food Irradiation

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Type of Food	Effects of Irradiation
Meat, poultry	Destroys pathogenic organisms, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter and Trichinae
Perishable foods	Delays spoilage; retards mold growth; reduces number of microorganisms
Grain, fruit	Controls insect vegetables, infestation dehydrated fruit, spices and seasonings , Reduces rehydration time
Onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, ginger	Inhibits sprouting
Bananas, mangos, papayas, guavas, other non-citrus fruits	Delays ripening avocados, natural juices

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How does irradiation affect the food itself? 

Ionizing radiation breaks some of the chemical bonds within the food itself. The effects of chemical changes in foods are varied. These effects are the result of radiolysis. Whether the products of radiolysis in food are all harmless from a human health perspective is still debated. However, from years of experience in food irradiation it is seen that there are no identifiable health problems. Some changes in foods may not be good but others can be. Examples of some food changes are:

• changes in structure of certain foods too fragile to withstand the irradiation, for example, lettuce and other leafy vegetables turn mushy
• slowed ripening and maturation in certain fruits and vegetables lengthens shelf-life
• reduction or destruction of some nutrients, such as vitamins, reduces the nutritional value (the effect is comparable to losses in heat pasteurisation)
• alteration of some flavour compounds
• formation of compounds that were not originally present requires the strict control of radiation levels
• generation of free radicals, some of which recombine with other ions.

Labelling 

As per FSS Act (2006) regulation 2.4.4 describes the labelling of irradiated food. The labelling of pre-packed irradiated food shall be in accordance with the provisions of FSS (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations. Also, the provisions of the atomic energy (control of Irradiation of Food) Rules, 1991, under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 should be followed.

All packages of irradiated food shall bear the following declaration and logo, namely: –

PROCESSED BY IRRADIATION METHOD……………………………………………………. DATE OF IRRADIATION………………………………………………………………………….

LICENSE NO of Irradiation Unit…………………………………………………………………PURPOSE OF IRRADIATION…………………………………………………………………….

In India, the standard guidelines for Irradiated Food Products have been defined under Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.

Irradiated foods require proper food handling 

Food irradiation can only be used if it fulfills a technological need or is necessary for food safety or food hygiene. It cannot replace the need for correct food handling practices in the food industry. Some bacteria may survive the irradiation of food, for example meat, so if meat is left unrefrigerated or not handled according to food safety norms, these bacteria could multiply and cause food poisoning. Irradiated foods need to be stored, handled and cooked in the same way as foods that are not irradiated and according to good food handling practices.

What is an Organic Food Product?

Organic Food – Fresh Red & Green Apple

The word “organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process all agricultural products like fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. Organic farming encourages soil and water conservation and helps in reducing pollution. Animals on organic farms are not given growth hormones or antibiotics. Since they are raised on organic farms they do not receive chemicals from the soil or in food they eat. This kind of farming is ecologically balanced. Organic foods are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, insecticides and herbicides and no genetically modified products are used.
In simpler terms organic food is

• grown without use of any chemicals
• processed without additives

Many people prefer to grow organic food in their own gardens, because organic foods are about 20% more expensive than conventional food. Conventional food is that food which uses synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Those who grow food in their own kitchen gardens use organic seeds, organic fertilizers and compost, organic root simulators and pest control. Organic food production has become popular since the 1990s in both developed and developing nations and worldwide organic food sales stand at around 2 % percent.
Processed organic food
This class of organic foods contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are included then they must not be more than 5% which means that 95% of the ingredients must be organic. Organic foods must be

• free of additives
• processed without the use of artificial methods
• must not use chemical ripening, food irradiation, and genetically modified ingredients.
• Some pesticides mat be permitted to be used but only if they are non synthetic

Advantages of organic foods
Organic foods have a number of advantages over conventional foods

• They are tastier because they are grown naturally and without chemicals of any kind and are farm fresh
• They are nutritious but may not look as colorful and well presented as conventional foods
• Environmentally friendly and protect topsoil from erosion and bring you closer to nature
• They are safer than foods grown with non-organic methods such as pesticides, non-organic fertilizers, antibiotics and hormones
• High food quality which conventional foods cannot match.
• Contain more antioxidants that fight diseases like cancer

Environmental impact of organic farming
Most surveys carried out have come to the conclusion that this kind of farming does not damage the environment because it

• does not consume or release synthetic pesticides into the environment so there is no harm caused to soil, water and land and aquatic wildlife
• sustains a diverse ecosystem of plants and insects, as well as animals
• when calculated either per unit area or per unit of yield, organic farms use less energy and produce less waste, like packaging materials for chemicals.

Some factors that can be used to compare conventional farming to organic farming are as described

1. Yields from organic farms

Organic farms may have lesser yield than conventional farms as they use less fertilizer and almost no pesticides. However, the soil content on organic farms is superior and it has better water retention ability. This could mean that in drought years organic farms will have better yields. Developing countries have better yields from organic farms because they do not have access to synthetic farming materials and so use organic methods, unlike developed countries where there is easy availability of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides.

2. Energy conservation

Organic farming is considered to be more energy efficient as there is no use of chemically synthesized nitrogen for crop production. They also rely on harnessing and using other sources of energy like solar energy. However, they could use more petroleum when using machinery as there is no other option for weed control and soil management. Since they use fertilizers that are less nutritious it results in the use of more fuel.

3. Pesticide residue

Organic farming standards do not allow use of synthetic pesticides. However, some standards do allow restricted use of organic pesticides like BT, pyrethrum, and rotenone.

4. Nutritional value

In a few studies that have been carried out organic foods showed better nutritional value as

• There are higher levels of vitamins/antioxidants and poly-unsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 and CLA
• Lower levels of compounds like heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticide residues and glyco-alkaloids in many crops and milk.

Organic Certification Process
The certification process for defining a farm as organic is rather long. Good management and record keeping are one of the key requirements of the process. Farmers look for guidelines to find out what practices and products are allowed for certification. For land to be certified as organic there should be

• no use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides for three years before applying for certification
• farmers must provide a detailed plan that describes the entire operation
• they must outline the organic techniques to be used for production and marketing of crops
• if there is lack of fertility in the beginning they must first rectify the problem before starting organic farming.

There is a strict inspection process where inspectors come to take soil samples to evaluate the soil fertility. The soil will also be tested to check the presence of any unacceptable pesticides in it. The inspectors will visit the farm annually or as directed in the standards to see that the organic farm is in compliance. Inspectors also check the records of the farm to see that the operations are being conducted according to the original plan given.
Indian certification organizations
In India, National Programme on Organic Production (NPOP) defines the regulatory mechanism and is regulated under two different acts for export and domestic markets. NPOP notified under Foreign Trade Development and Regulation Act (FTDR) looks after the export requirement. The
NPOP notified under this act has already been granted equivalence by European Union and Sweden. USDA has also accepted the conformity assessment system of NPOP. Due to this, the product certified by any Indian accredited certification agency under NPOP can be exported to Europe, Sweden and USA without the requirement of re-certification.
To look after the requirement of import and domestic market the same NPOP has been notified under Agriculture Produce Grading, Marking and Certification Act (APGMC). Regulatory body of NPOP under FTDR act is Agricultural and Processed. Foods Export Development Authority (APEDA) under Ministry of Commerce and of NPOP under APGMC act is Agricultural Marketing Advisor (AMA) under Ministry of Agriculture. Accreditation of Certification and Inspection Agencies is being granted by a common National Accreditation Body (NAB). Almost 20 accredited certification agencies are looking after the requirement of certification process. Out of these, 4 agencies are under public sector while remaining 16 are under private management.
Organic labelling
In legal terms to be certified or labelled 100% organic, products must be grown and manufactured in a way that is in compliance with the standards of the country they are sold in.
Foods that are organically grown can state this fact on the labels. Those consumers who want to buy organic foods can look at the labels to see if the foods are 100% organic

• “100% Organic” Foods that are labelled as 100% Organic must contain all organically grown ingredients except for added water and salt.
• “Organic” Foods that are labelled as Organic need to contain at least 95% organic ingredients, except for added water and salt. Up to 5% of the ingredients may be non-organically produced.
• Foods that are labeled ‘Organic’ cannot contain sulphites added as a preservative. Sulphites can create allergies and asthma in some people.
• “Made with Organic Ingredients” Product labels that claim Made with Organic Ingredients need to contain at least 70% organic ingredients, except for added water and salt. They must not contain added sulphites, and up to 30% of the ingredients may be non-organically produced.
• Food products made with less than 70% organic ingredients cannot claim to be organic foods. However, they may state which of the ingredients are organic.

Popular organic food items are organic tea, organic coffee, organic wine, organic meat, organic beef, eggs, organic milk, organic honey, organic vegetables, organic fruits, organic rice, organic corn, organic herbs, organic essential oils, organic coconut oil and organic olive oil.
The food safety guidelines for Organic Food products including Licensing & Registration, Labelling, Contaminants, Toxins & Residues, as per Indian Regulations (FSS Act, Rules & Regulations) would imply same as have been defined for other normal food products.
Important – The information contained in this article can be used as a reference guideline on the subject, however the actual guidelines (Regulatory & others) may differ from the content discussed here.

Oxytocin in food items: HC seeks reply from Centre within 6 weeks

SHIMLA: Director, health safety and regulations, on Tuesday filed its response in Himachal Pradesh high court on observations made on the issue of large scale use of harmful oxytocin vaccine in milk, fruits and vegetables. The director said that state government does not have any mechanism to test oxytocin injected into fruits and vegetables, milk and non-vegetarian products. The court has now directed the Union government to file its reply within 6 weeks and posted the matter for April 1.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition taken up suo motu by the court as a public interest litigation on misuse of oxytocin vaccine.

Amicus curiae Satyen Vaidya had submitted that only 11 samples of fruits, 4 of vegetables, 11 non-vegetarian food items and 91 samples of milk were lifted in the entire state during the last three years despite huge paraphernalia of the food safety department and the drug control administration. He said that only 117 samples were lifted during 3 years in the entire state and only 65 of them analyzed, which shows the concern of the food safety administration towards its duties. The Composite Testing Laboratory (CTL), Kandaghat, does not have a facility for detection of oxytocin in food samples. It has also not been specified whether the food samples were sent specifically for detection of oxytocin or not.

The amicus curiae also submitted that the drug control administration has failed to provide data about steps taken by it to check its abuse and is conspicuously silent about possibility of oxytocin being illegally imported into the state from other parts of the country and even overseas and no date has been provided to show steps taken by the drug control administration to keep strict vigil and check on manufacturers and chemists indulging in its sale, except one seizure conducted during the last 3 years, when 254 injections of oxytocin (for veterinary use) were seized.

In reply to this, the director submitted that the matter, under present circumstances, was more of research rather than regulatory. The director said that the state government does not have any mechanism to test the factum of oxytocin in fruits and vegetables, milk and non-vegetarian products injected with the said drug.

The government of India has not prescribed any norms under PFA/FSSA for carrying out tests for oxytocin in foods. He said that media reports about misuse of oxytocin and its harmful effects on human health were not based on any scientific date and no such ill effects have been reported by ICAR on animals on which experiments were carried out.

Plant Protection Code in Place; Consumers can Expect Safer Tea

Plant Protection Code in Place; Consumers can Expect Safer Tea

The Plant Protection Code (PPC) was expected to be implemented in September 2014, but was deferred as small farmers needed some more time. The tea industry had been facing some issues particularly from conscious consumers who demanded to have safer, healthier and more environmentally friendly tea. Greenpeace had also alleged that Indian teas have a higher than permissible level of pesticide residue.

Now the tea board has announced that the PPC has become effective from January 1, 2015. The Tea Board has made some modifications to the recently implemented PPC. These changes are applicable to the small tea growers, which account for 30% of total tea output. From henceforth, small tea growers will have to give a declaration that their tea output conforms to the PPC. The Tea Board is likely to continue the ongoing awareness campaign to educate tea growers about the Plan Protection Formulations (PPF).

Based on extensive screening, the Central Insecticides Board (CIB) has listed 33 pesticides that can be used in tea production in India. The Tea Board has also outlined the chemicals that can be used in PPF for tea plantations and these cover insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and bio pesticides. In order to check contamination, chemicals will be restricted for use in tea estates, water bodies near tea estates, wildlife habitats and human dwellings. Tea plantations in south India have been allowed a few concessions in the use of chemicals. The Tea Research Institutes that have been involved in making the PPF have based their recommendations on compliance with FSSAI standards.

The PPC is a document that will encourage tea growers to use safer methods of tea protection and to review their use of chemicals in their PPF. The PPC is based on the international standards set by Codex Alimentarius. Through the PPC the Tea Board hopes to achieve sustainability through Good Agricultural Practices. They also aim to reduce the use of some chemical pesticides for pest control. To put it simply the threefold methods that tea planters need to use to reduce pesticide residues in tea are

review their use of PPFs,

reduce the use of PPFs as much as possible

apply the PPFs in the safest way possible

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is another striking feature of the PPC, which means using suitable methods and techniques in such a way as to minimize the pest incidence so as to prevent economic loss of crops. Tea Board has however, mentioned that despite the use of PPFs, the tea industry loses nearly 30 per cent of its crop due to pests, weeds and diseases.