The farm producers and orchard owners of Dehradun, Haridwar and mountainous areas of the State could benefit from going hi- tech by adopting this technology for fruits like litchi, mangoes and pomegranates to increase their export potential.

 Also, the large stores can increase the shelf life of the commonly used pulses, spices, seasonings and sea food by irradiating the packed articles, say the scientists. Presently only 15 radiation processing plants are running in the country and two more are to come up in Gujarat while Uttarakhand is far behind in adopting this technology to increase export potential.

Speaking to this correspondent, J Souframanien from Nuclear Agriculture and Biotechnology Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai said, “At present 15 radiation processing plants are operating in the country. The nearest one to capital city of Uttarakhand is in Delhi. While Dehradun is known for litchi production, there is no such processing plant here. In Bihar, litchi treatment plant was started which has been highly effective for exporters.

Recently MoU has been signed for setting up radiation processing plants in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh with BARC but we are yet to transfer technology to the mountain State of Uttarakhand.” Accepted worldwide by various agencies like US Food and Drug administration, irradiation of food is yet to gain grounds in Uttarakhand.

In India two out of the 15 food irradiation units are private, while 13 are run by BARC. Souframanien further added that BARC technology is a safe and novel chemical treatment based technology developed using GRAS chemicals and radiation processing to extend shelf life of fruits. It helps in retaining natural pericarp (peel) color, reducing microbial load to below detectable level, extending shelf life by about 60 days and fulfilling quarantine requirement.

Notably, till 2007 India was not permitted to export mangoes to US, Australia and other countries but ever since this radiation and chemical treatment technology came, mango exports have increased from 150 metric tonnes to 1150 metric tonnes since 2007 to 2017. Now litchis, pomegrenates are also being exported.

 Irradiation at 150 Gy is effective against fruit flies (Dacus dorsalis and D. cucurbitae) while a dose of 300 Gy can prevent the pupae of seed weevil (Cryptorynchus mangifera) into adults and adults if present are rendered sterile. Gy is Gray, unit of absorbed radiation. Discussing about the safety of radiation process in food and cereals, Souframanein said, “The product is packed and put in the aluminum carriers and is positioned around the source rack. Then it is exposed to gamma radiations emitted by the source but the food product never comes in contact with radioactive material. It delays the ripening of fruits.” Muzaffarpur in Uttar Pradesh which is famous for exporting litchi fruit across the world, gets almost whole of its litchi produce chemically treated. Uttarakhand litchi producers must think on those lines too.

Like pasteurizing milk and canning fruits and vegetables, irradiation can make food safer for the consumer. Storage of foods in freezer of refrigerator keeps common pests during monsoon season away when it is most humid, same way irradiation helps curb the microbial growth by treating them with gamma radiations.

The technique can be used to prevent sprouting in potatoes and onions and increase the shelf life of delicate fruits like strawberries and mangoes thus reducing insect infestation in these fruits.

Food irradiation aims at destroying bacteria by exposing them to free radicals which are highly reactive and can interrupt cell division and multiplication.