Ionizing energy for food security, safety and promotion of international trade of agri-produce

In India food losses range around 30% for grains and nearly 40% for fruits, vegetables and other perishables, which can be drastically reduced through the intervention of modern technologies such as ionizing energy. FAO, IAEA, WHO, and the Codex General Standard of Food approved Cobalt-60, Cesium-137, X-rays (energy <5 MeV) and Electrons (<10 MeV) for processing of food. At very low doses, the radiation treatment helps in inhibition of sprouting in potato and onion and delay in the ripening and senescence in certain fruits and vegetables. A nutritious and safe Ready to Eat product 'Stuffed Baked Food (SBF)' was supplied by DAE as a good will gesture for flood and land slide affected people of Himachal Pradesh in the year 2018. Radiation technology has also helped in overcoming quarantine barrier of trade enabling export of Indian mango to USA from 2007 after a gap of 18 years. Recently class-based approval of radiation processing of food has been endorsed by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) and subsequently Gazette notified by the Government of India in 2016. Currently 25 gamma irradiation plants are operational in the country treating food and allied products. Existing numbers of food irradiation plants are minuscule compared to the quantum of produce. Therefore, India is in absolute need of many more food irradiation plants coupled with pack houses, and cold chain storage to cater the huge domestic and export requirements