PUBLIC ACCEPTACE AND TRADE OF IRRADIATED FRUIT

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PUBLIC ACCEPTACE AND TRADE OF IRRADIATED FRUIT
Maria Emilia Bustos de Griffin
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Irradiation Technology

• Has been internationally accepted as a
  phytosanitary treatment
• It has been shown to be
• Safe for consumers and the environment
• Efficacious for pests
• Economically feasible

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Implementation
Why is it so difficult to implement irradiation
as a legitimate technology for trading fruit?
ISPM No. 18 2003
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Social Test
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International and National Organizations
How to identify an irradiated food?
How to Identiy a live pest?
Safety?

Radiolisis products?
Irradiated products should be labeled?
Additive?
Free Radicals?
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Irradiation as Additive

• JECFI declared irradiation to be an additive
  because the process resulted in the formation of
  radiolytic products (Rome, 1964)
• The safety of irradiated food followed the
  general protocol used for the safety evaluation
  of food additives.

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Free Radicals

• Principal event in the irradiation process
• Not exclusive to ionizing radiation

H2O e- ionization
H2O
H2O excitation
H2O de-excitation
H2O
H. OH. Dissociation
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Radiolysis in Fruits

• Direct Interaction
• H2O H2O H2O e- aq
• H2O OH. H.
• Interaction with any compound in the fruit
• R O R RO. R.
  Depolymerization
• R OH RO. H.
  Dehydrogenation
• R H R. H.
  Dehydrogenation
• R OH R. OH.
  Dehydroxilation

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Changes in Compounds
100 Gy treatment
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Why Identify Irradiated Food

• To demonstrate to consumers that food has been
  irradiated
• Not convinced that irradiated food be identified
  through documentation records
• Negative attitudes of consumer organizations in
  some countries
• Barriers to trade due to the existence of
  different requirements and standards in different
  countries

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Dificulties Identifying irradiated Food

• 1966 Symposium organized by IAEA
• 1986 Conference in Neurhenberg Munich
• Changes that occur in irradiated food are small
  and very similar to changes that occur in foods
  treated by other preservation methods
• There was no universal method applicable for all
  irradiated food
• Methods were available for some irradiated food

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Insist on Identification Methods

• Regulatory authorities and the processors were
  interested
• Conference on Acceptance Control and Trade in
  Irradiated Food (Geneva, 1988)
• Recommended research on detection methods
• Detection methods would enhance standard
  regulatory procedures and thereby help assure
  consumers that processors and distributors adhere
  to government controls

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Detection Methods

• More than 17 methods studied in 3 decades
• The methods measure changes produced by ionizing
  radiation, including changes in
• 1) chemical compounds
• 2) physical properties
• 3) formation of free radicals
• 4) histological/ morphological characteristics
• 5) microflora
• Only three types of analytical techniques have
  been validated by the ECS TL, GC and ESR

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Detection Method for Fruit
ESR spectra for mango treated and untreated at 1
kGy
There is no universal method for Fresh Fruit ESR
has been validated for dried food and strawberries
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Detection of Live Insects from Irradiated Fruit

• ICGFI 1991 Recommended the development of a rapid
  and practicable technique to determine whether
  insects have been irradiated
• Several physical and biological tests have been
  done with results similar to those described for
  fruit

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Change the Mindset

• Inspectors must change there attitude toward
  live pests and understand that irradiated pests
  do not present a risk

Verify the minimum radiation dose through
dosimetry (ISPM no. 18)
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Labeling

• Very controversial subject
• Discussions have occurred among experts, national
  authorities and international organizations for
  decades
• The Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO (JECFI) recognized food
  irradiation as a safe and effective physical
  process for treating food (1980)
• There is no valid scientific reason to label food
  processed by irradiation which are safe to eat

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British Advisory Committee on Irradiated Food
Irradiated food does not need a label 1) No
special microbiological consequences of food
irradiation 2) Only information about storage
conditions and shelf life are needed 3) No
special nutritional consequences of food
irradiation which would necesitate retail
labeling other that already recommended for the
nutritional content of foods in general 4) There
is no evidence for any toxicological effect of
food irradiation
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Codex General Standard for Irradiated Food

• Labeling for the purposes of shipping documents
  
• Labeling of pre-packaged foods requires labeling
  of whole irradiated foods, of ingredients of
  foods, and of single ingredient products that
  have been prepared from irradiated raw
  ingredients
• Optional international symbol RADURA

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Labeling and the Impact

• Scientists, legislators, and producers were sure
  that labeling would have a negative effect on
  irradiated food for retail sale
• Need to inform the consumer about this new
  technology
• Information on all important aspects of the food
  consumers purchase and consume

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Labeling and the Type of Food
Meats Radura free from pathogens. Fruit and
vegetables Consumers are not interested in what
method used for desifnfestaion Requring labeling
is confusing the consumer
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Consumer Reactions

• Before

• After

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Surveys and Market Trials

• ICGFI 1984- 2004
• Several countries organized market trials with
  clear labeling
• The consumers always accepted the irradiated food
• Consumers observed better quality in irradiated
  food
• Irradiated food viewed as safer

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Consumer Organizations

• Many groups and organizations worldwide are
  opposed to the use of irradiation for the
  treatment of food
• California-based National Coalition to Stop Food
  Irradiation (NCSFI)
• BEUC The head organization of European Consumer
  Unions demand retail labeling so the consumer can
  make their own choice.
• The General Assembly of the International
  Organization of Consumer Unions at its 12th World
  Congress held in Madrid 1987 demand a worldwide
  moratoirum
• Food and Water Inc.
• OCA

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Shipment
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Facilities for Phytosanitary Treatment

• E-beam opened in Hawaii in 2000
• Several kind of fruit treated, volumes increase,
  marketing costs reduced enabling greater
  quantities and types of quarantined agricultural
  commodities to be shipped out of Hawaii to
  markets in the mainland United States
• All these shipments have helped to make
  irradiation more familiar to consumers
• Surveys show that up to 80
• of US consumers would buy food
• labeled for irradition

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The Future

• Pending research work
• Dmin needed for specific pests
• Tolerance dose for exotic fruit
• Campaigns to educate consumers in importing and
  exporting countries
• Business analyses for new facilities

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International Trade of Irradiated FoodCentury XXI
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International Irradiation fruit Trading
India, with mangoes
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Thailand, with mangoes, mangosteens and
rambutans
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Vietnam, with dragon fruit
3
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México
Citricos
!Ya Merito!
Mangos
Guayabas
Sterigenics, Mexico