Radiation disinfestation

Radiation disinfestation of stored food offers a viable alternative to chemical disinfestation without adverse effects on the product quality. The use of methyl bromide, the only broad-spectrum fumigant used for the disinfestation of stored products, was anticipated to be phased out by around 2001 [34], which highlights the urgency of an alternative treatment. 

Disinfestation of stored food by irradiation was extensively studied already in the 1960s and 1970s [9,35], and it has shown that radiation disinfestation can be efficiently applied to almost all dried foods. 

With the availability of inexpensive, convenient, and easily applied pest control methods based on application of pesticides, irradiation disinfestation has not yet received priority. Nevertheless, radiation disinfestation was performed on an industrial scale in the... 

Dried fruits, vegetables, and nuts, as well as dried fish, an important source of protein in many developing countries, are also good candidates for radiation disinfestation. Application of 0.2-0.7 kGy doses, if they have been suitably packaged to prevent reinfestation, can eliminate the insect problem from these products that cannot be elfectively disinfested by either chemical or physical means other than irradiation. 

The Entomology of Radiation Disinfestation of Grain, Cornwell, P.B., Ed. Pergamon Press London, 1966. 

Radiation sterilization produces foods that are stable at room temperature and requires a dose of 20 to 70 kGy. At lower doses, longer shelf life may be obtained, especially with perishable foods such as fruits, fish, and shellfish. The destruction of Salmonella in poultry is an application for radiation treatment. This requires doses of 1 to 10 kGy. Radiation disinfestation of spices and cereals may replace chemical fumigants, which have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years. Dose levels of 8 to 30 kGy would be required. Other possible applications of irradiation processing are inhibition of sprouting in potatoes and onions and delaying of the ripening of tropical fruits. 

Brower, J.H. and Tilton, E.W. (1985) The potential of irradiation as a quarantine treatment for insects infesting stored food commodities. In Radiation Disinfestation of Food... 

Ignatowicz, S. (1996b) Efficacy of electron beams in radiation disinfestation of jute bags. Roczniki Nauk Rolniczych, Seria E, T. 25, Z. 1/2, 125-131. 

Moy, J.H. (ed.) (1985) Radiation Disinfestation of Food and Agricultural Products. Proceedings of a Conference in Honolulu, 1983. University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu. 

Moy, J. H. Radiation Disinfestation of Food and Agricultural Products How. Inst. Trop. Agri. Human Resources, U. Hawaii Honolulu, HI 1985 428 pp. 

Unfortunately, there are relatively few situations in the world where radiation disinfestation of grain would be commercially economic. In order to reduce irradiation costs, the scale of operation must be large the process would best be applied to grain that is bulk-stored in the country of... 

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