Poised for growth and challenges ahead

An expert panel of international food irradiation authorities held an International Symposium on Food Irradiation, hosted in Washington, DC this past March by the United States and jointly organized by the IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The panel identified three tasks now requiring attention: demonstration of the technology's economic feasibility, establishment of a uniform legislative framework, and securement of consumer acceptance. Toward these aims, it urged that steps be taken to broaden awareness of food irradiation's benefits, foster and accelerate the technology's commercial development for specific applications, and more sharply focus international co-operation in the field