India’s FSSAI issues guidance note on irradiated foods safety; busts myths around it

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 international symbol indicating a food product has been irradiated, the 'Radura' logo.

In this regard, V P Venugopalan, head, nuclear agriculture and biotechnology division, associate director (A), bioscience group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay, states, "Radiation processing of food and agricultural produce is a very underutilised technology as far as India is concerned. It can help the country cut down post-harvest losses in a significant way. There are lots of misconceptions regarding the safety of irradiated food among the general public; added to that there is a general shortage of adequate irradiation facilities."

He added, "The guidance note issued by FSSAI provides, in a nutshell, information about the usefulness of radiation processing as a safe, convenient and economic method of food preservation. It also contains a very useful FAQ section that explains, in simple language, what the whole idea of food irradiation is about."

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Source: Food and Beverage News