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Status of food irradiation in France
Abstracts
1015
As to the state of development of identification methods, the following can be said: we are concerned at the moment with including luminescence measuring techniques into the official collection of control methods for food. A first step for their application was to test the individual methods in a collaborative study. The results of this study will be reported later. Other methods, e.g. the viscosity measurements, are still in the experimental stage.
STATUS
OF FOOD IRRADIATION
IN FRANCE
P. BOISSEAU Commissariat a 1’Energie Atomique-Service de Radioagronomie,
CEN Cadarache, France
Abstract-1988 has been a very important year for food irradiation in France; new developments occurred in the research field, in the irradiation industry and at the legislation level. About 10 regional scientific teams are working at present on food irradiation. They are carrying research on the use of irradiation for preservation of different foodstuffs: red meat, fruits and vegetables, chicken, fresh fish, nuts, cheese. Most of these research programmes are coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture. On the other hand, the French Atomic Energy Commission is the only research centre carrying fundamental, basic and applied researches on food irradiation, in Cadarache. About 20 scientists are working there on three different subjects: analysis of free radicals, study of effects of gamma rays on plant cells and adjustment of the process for specific food products. Two new industrial irradiation facilities have been built in France in 1988. Both of them are contract facilities, equipped with a source of high capacity (3 million Ci of Cobalt 60); they will irradiate either plastics or medical products and food. The first one is called “Amphytrion” and is located in Vendee (West of France) and will be in operation in November 1988.The second one is located in Marseille (South of France) and is managed by Gammaster Provence, the french subsidiary of Gammaster B.V.; it will be in operation early next year. The total number of facilities irradiating food in France will be 6 that is to say the highest number in the world. Three ministries are concerned with food irradiation at the legislation level: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance (Consumers Affairs). 11 groups of products are authorized to be treated by irradiation; most of them are dried or deep frozen products. New clearances have been asked for fresh products (fish, ham, cheese. .). About 4500 tons of products have been treated in 1987. A new decree to be adopted by the French government has been sent for agreement to the EEC. This new decree will faciliate the procedure for giving the clearances and will adapt the legislation to the quick evolution of the process and will prevent the misuse of the process to guarantee the quality of this technology and of the quality of the treated foodstuffs. Food irradiation is being recognized as a process like the others and more and more people from the industry, from the government, scientists or consumers are interested in this technology and ready to adopt it to guarantee the safety of our food supply.
STATUS
OF FOOD IRRADIATION IN THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC G. H~BNER
Central Institute of Isotope and Radiation Research, Leipzig, G.D.R. Abstract-At present, 3 plants for food irradiation on an industrial scale are operating in the GDR. These three plants are the bulk irradiator GBZ 81 of the Central Institute of Isotope and Radiation Research at Weideroda, the irradiation plant GBE 82 of the VEB PROWIKO Schijnebeck for the irradiation of enzyme solutions, and the multipurpose irradiation plant of the Agricultural Cooperative Queis at Spickendorf. The bulk-irradiation plant at the Weideroda onion store of the Agricultural Cooperative Wiederau-Zwenkau was mainly used for the irradiation of onions. The annual throughput has been 500 to 600 tons of onions. Due to the positive results achieved the plant has been redesigned this year for an increased throughput on a commercial scale. The irradiation plant for enzyme solutions of the VEB PROWIKO was set in operation in 1986. It is a special batch process irradiator with a capacity of about 2 m3 enzyme solution per day. The multipurpose irradiation plant GBS 84 of the Agricultural Cooperative Queis in Spickendorf has been working since April 1986 without any interruption. The initial capacity of 4.44 pBq (120 kCi) Co-60 has been raised this year to 8.88 pBq (240 kCi) Co-60, realizing a throughput of 30&400 kg product per hour at a dose of 10 kGy. The plant meets all requirements of food irradiation in our country at this time. Additionally, medical products, drugs, cosmetics, plastics, and animal feed have been irradiated in this plant.
1015
As to the state of development of identification methods, the following can be said: we are concerned at the moment with including luminescence measuring techniques into the official collection of control methods for food. A first step for their application was to test the individual methods in a collaborative study. The results of this study will be reported later. Other methods, e.g. the viscosity measurements, are still in the experimental stage.
STATUS
OF FOOD IRRADIATION
IN FRANCE
P. BOISSEAU Commissariat a 1’Energie Atomique-Service de Radioagronomie,
CEN Cadarache, France
Abstract-1988 has been a very important year for food irradiation in France; new developments occurred in the research field, in the irradiation industry and at the legislation level. About 10 regional scientific teams are working at present on food irradiation. They are carrying research on the use of irradiation for preservation of different foodstuffs: red meat, fruits and vegetables, chicken, fresh fish, nuts, cheese. Most of these research programmes are coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture. On the other hand, the French Atomic Energy Commission is the only research centre carrying fundamental, basic and applied researches on food irradiation, in Cadarache. About 20 scientists are working there on three different subjects: analysis of free radicals, study of effects of gamma rays on plant cells and adjustment of the process for specific food products. Two new industrial irradiation facilities have been built in France in 1988. Both of them are contract facilities, equipped with a source of high capacity (3 million Ci of Cobalt 60); they will irradiate either plastics or medical products and food. The first one is called “Amphytrion” and is located in Vendee (West of France) and will be in operation in November 1988.The second one is located in Marseille (South of France) and is managed by Gammaster Provence, the french subsidiary of Gammaster B.V.; it will be in operation early next year. The total number of facilities irradiating food in France will be 6 that is to say the highest number in the world. Three ministries are concerned with food irradiation at the legislation level: Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Finance (Consumers Affairs). 11 groups of products are authorized to be treated by irradiation; most of them are dried or deep frozen products. New clearances have been asked for fresh products (fish, ham, cheese. .). About 4500 tons of products have been treated in 1987. A new decree to be adopted by the French government has been sent for agreement to the EEC. This new decree will faciliate the procedure for giving the clearances and will adapt the legislation to the quick evolution of the process and will prevent the misuse of the process to guarantee the quality of this technology and of the quality of the treated foodstuffs. Food irradiation is being recognized as a process like the others and more and more people from the industry, from the government, scientists or consumers are interested in this technology and ready to adopt it to guarantee the safety of our food supply.
STATUS
OF FOOD IRRADIATION IN THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC G. H~BNER
Central Institute of Isotope and Radiation Research, Leipzig, G.D.R. Abstract-At present, 3 plants for food irradiation on an industrial scale are operating in the GDR. These three plants are the bulk irradiator GBZ 81 of the Central Institute of Isotope and Radiation Research at Weideroda, the irradiation plant GBE 82 of the VEB PROWIKO Schijnebeck for the irradiation of enzyme solutions, and the multipurpose irradiation plant of the Agricultural Cooperative Queis at Spickendorf. The bulk-irradiation plant at the Weideroda onion store of the Agricultural Cooperative Wiederau-Zwenkau was mainly used for the irradiation of onions. The annual throughput has been 500 to 600 tons of onions. Due to the positive results achieved the plant has been redesigned this year for an increased throughput on a commercial scale. The irradiation plant for enzyme solutions of the VEB PROWIKO was set in operation in 1986. It is a special batch process irradiator with a capacity of about 2 m3 enzyme solution per day. The multipurpose irradiation plant GBS 84 of the Agricultural Cooperative Queis in Spickendorf has been working since April 1986 without any interruption. The initial capacity of 4.44 pBq (120 kCi) Co-60 has been raised this year to 8.88 pBq (240 kCi) Co-60, realizing a throughput of 30&400 kg product per hour at a dose of 10 kGy. The plant meets all requirements of food irradiation in our country at this time. Additionally, medical products, drugs, cosmetics, plastics, and animal feed have been irradiated in this plant.