Food Irradiation Update is published by the Minnesota Beef Council

Quotable Quotes:
"Foodgrain wastage is a major problem in India and we need technologies to protect our crops from attacks of insects and other pests. I endorse the view that food irradiation is one safety tool whose time has come.”
Governor K Sankaranarayanan; Maharashtra, India

"As with rambutans from Thailand, fruit from Malaysia and Vietnam would have to be irradiated. Irradiated rambutan also is shipped from Hawaii to the mainland."
Alyn Kiel, USDA/APHIS spokeswoman.

"Irradiation plants have already been built in 60 countries, including some in the Middle East."
David Byron, the head of the food and environmental protection section of the Joint Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) division of nuclear techniques in food and technology.

In This Update:
IMRP 2011: Global Conference on Food Irradiation
McCormick Recalls Sesame Seeds Spice Blend
Governor Endorses Food Irradiation to Stop Food Wastage
Researchers Develop Improved Irradiation Method
US Access Likely for Malaysia and Vietnam Due to Irradiation
Local Interest in Food Irradiation Grows in Abu Dhabi;
Salmonella in Sprouts Now Sickens 94
Opportunities in Phytosanitary Irradiation for Fresh Produce Workshop Kick – Off
Asian Rambutans Clear Import Hurdle

Important Food Safety Links:

Kansas State University

Marler Blog

Food Irradiation Processing Alliance (FIPA)
International Irradiation Association (iiA)

MONTREAL, QUEBEC: Montreal Welcomes the World. Industry leaders and scientific experts from around the world will gather at IMRP Montreal 2011-the 16th global forum of the international radiation processing community-to discuss, debate and discover the latest in industrial electron beam, x-ray and gamma ray technology. From 13th to the 16th June 2011 the four-star Hilton Montréal Bonaventure-perched above Place Bonaventure in the heart of Montreal-will play host to IMRP. Participants will enjoy Montreal's blend of Old World-style charm and North American vitality. Recognized the world over for its excellent university research base and advancement in food irradiation, healthcare and life sciences, the city was a natural choice for IMRP 2011.Learn more here....

CBS NEWS: McCormick Canada is recalling three types of sesame seeds and one spice blend because of concerns about salmonella contamination. The affected products include Club House One Step Lemon and Herbs Seasoning, along with Club House, Sysco and Trade East brands of sesame seeds.

The spice mix is sold in 134-gram containers, with lot codes 0300, 0315 and 0330. The sesame seeds are all sold in 575-gram containers, with lot codes 0321 and 0334. All of the products have been distributed nationally.

Consumption of food or spices contaminated with salmonella can cause salmonellosis, a potentially fatal food-borne illness. It's particularly serious in young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. There have been no reports of illnesses associated with the recalled products. Consumers who have questions about the recall can call McCormick Canada at 1-800-265-2600.

MUMBAI, INDIA: Concern over post-harvest foodgrain wastage in India, Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan recently suggested use of technologies to eliminate insects, increase shelf life and destroy potential disease-causing organisms in food.

“Foodgrain wastage is a major problem in India and we need technologies to protect our crops from attacks of insects and other pests. I endorse the view that food irradiation is one safety tool whose time has come,” he said while inaugurating the International Conference on Isotope Technologies and Applications - New Horizons. Read more here......

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS: Texas A&M University researchers say they’ve developed a system that cuts by as much as a half the amount of radiation needed to kill most salmonella, E. coli and other pathogens on fresh produce while preserving the quality of the product.

Packing produce in a Mylar bag filled with pure oxygen allowed researchers to significantly reduce the amount of radiation needed to kill pathogens, said Carmen Gomes, a Texas A&M food safety engineer and one of the project’s leaders. Higher amounts of radiation can cause leafy vegetables to decay and lose freshness.

“Reducing the amount of radiation is not so much a safety measure as it is a way to preserve quality of the produce,” Gomes said in a Dec. 6 statement on the Texas AgriLife Research website. The researchers are part of Texas A&M’s extension system.
Read more here....
Related stories:
Texas Researchers Devise New Irradiation Method
Researchers Find Way to Cut Food Irradiation Dosage by Half
Researchers Develop Technique to Cut Irradiation Dose by 50 Percent

WASHINGTON, D.C: Trade channels to the US could soon open up for Malaysian and Vietnamese rambutan following the results of a Pest Risk Analysis by the USDA

A Pest Risk Analysis by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) has endorsed a protocol for the importation of rambutan from Malaysia and Vietnam.  Notification of the protocol was published in the US Federal Register on 15 December and the document is now open for submissions.

APHIS spokesperson Alyn Kiel told the Packer the protocol would involve irradiation, as is currently required for fruit imported from Thailand and Hawaii. He added that rambutan from Mexico and Central America do not need to be irradiated. The USDA will begin issuing permits pending the results of the submission period.

Local Interest in Food Irradiation Grows in Abu Dhabi; The National; By Megan Detrie; (November 25, 2010):

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: The method, in which food is exposed to specific doses of gamma, X-ray or other radiation to kill bacteria and prevent regrowth, could soon be used by food companies to extend the shelf life of products in the UAE and protect against disease.Nuclear technology could soon be used by food companies to extend the shelf life of products in the UAE and protect against disease carrying bacteria and microbes, food experts say.

When food is exposed to specific doses of radiation such as gamma ray, X-ray and high-energy electrons, the radiation affects the cells of micro-organisms found in food, killing them and preventing re-growth.

Irradiation plants have already been built in 60 countries, including some in the Middle East, said David Byron, the head of the food and environmental protection section of the Joint Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) division of nuclear techniques in food and technology.

Irradiation limits the growth of bacteria, pathogens such as salmonella, fungi and insects. The method has been approved by the World Health Organisation.

The Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) is now hoping to raise the profile of irradiation in the food industry here.
Read more here......

Salmonella in Sprouts Now Sickens 94; BarfBlog; (December 28, 2010):

MANHATTAN, KANSAS: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reports today that from November 1 through December 27, approximately 94 illnesses linked to infection with the outbreak strain of Salmonella were reported from 16 states and the District of Columbia. Preliminary results of the investigation indicate a link to eating Tiny Greens brand Alfalfa Sprouts at Jimmy John’s restaurant outlets.
Read more here.....

Opportunities in Phytosanitary Irradiation for Fresh Produce Workshop Kick – Off; USDA Press Release (December 17, 2010):

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 17, 2010): We are pleased to announce that USDA/APHIS PPQ Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, Phytosanitary Issues Management, Agriculture Research Service and Chapman University have been awarded a Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) grant to study the effects of irradiation on fruits and vegetables.  This TASC project is designed specifically to assist the US fruit and irradiation industry to develop systems for efficiently treating commodities with irradiation while maintaining fruit quality. As a first step in this project, we are planning a meeting between USDA, Chapman University, the fresh fruit and irradiation industries, exporters, and other interested parties. This meeting is scheduled for January 25 -26, 2011 in Orange, CA on the Chapman University Campus.

The meeting will include:
An overview of APHIS irradiation policies and procedures
Presentation and discussions of Trade and Irradiation Initiative
Presentations and discussions on peach quality study
Panel Discussion with the irradiation industry
Planning the project  

The project planning portion of the meeting will involve discussions of developing of export systems using irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment.  The project will focus on planning systems for export; testing those systems, and evaluating the results.

We hope that you will consider sending someone from your organization that would benefit from the experience.  To ensure an optimal learning environment this course enrollment is capped at 50 participants!  Rooms are reserved at the Ayres Hotel, Orange, CA at a special group rate of $89.00, please call to make your room reservations by January 14, 2011 @ 714-978-9168 under the group name USDA/Chapman Produce Irradiation Meeting.  For additional information please visit the website : https://sites.google.com/site/fruitirradiation/

Asian Rambutans Clear Import Hurdle; The Packer; By Andy Nelson: (December 15, 2010):

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has paved the way for US imports of rambutan from Malaysia and Vietnam.The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service approved a phytosanitary protocol for the imports as part of a pest risk analysis published in the Dec. 15 Federal Register.

As with rambutans from Thailand, fruit from Malaysia and Vietnam would have to be irradiated, said Alyn Kiel, an APHIS spokeswoman. Irradiated rambutan also is shipped from Hawaii to the mainland.

Rambutans imported from Mexico and Central America do not have to irradiated, Kiel said. Pending the results of a comment period, the USDA will begin issuing import permits. Read more here....

Food Irradiation: A Guide for Consumers, Policy Makers and the Media;
Grocery Manufacturers of America publication; Down load at: http://www.gmaonline.org/downloads/research-and-reports/SPP_Irradiation5.pdf