FNBNEWS
FSSAI has issued a guidance note on irradiated food titled Irradiated Food is Safe – Busting Myths Around It. It aims at making Food Business Operators (FBOs) understand the technological benefits, safety and wholesomeness of irradiated foods.
The note has detailed information on irradiation technology, its benefits, food irradiation facilities in India, public perception, commercial prospects in India and use of irradiation technology globally.
Irradiation is a physical process in which food commodities like bulk or pre-packaged are exposed to controlled doses of energy of ionising radiation such as gamma rays or X-rays to achieve different technological objectives.
The note stresses on the fact that radiation technology can be termed as one process with multiple uses. The application of food irradiation on the basis of dose requirements like low, medium and high can help in extension of shelf-life, destruction of storage and quarantine insect pests, and killing of parasites, pathogens and spoilage microorganisms.
In India, regulations on radiation processing have been notified under Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2016. Further, as per FSS (Food Products Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, irradiated products are labelled and can be identified with the ‘Radura’ logo in a typical label:
