Streamlining Food Pest Control Through Irradiation

Over the past 15 years, the volume of commodities irradiated for phytosanitation has increased significantly to nearly 100 000 tonnes per year globally. However, traded irradiated food products are only a slim fraction of those treated by other phytosanitary measures. The volume of mangoes that undergo hot water treatment in Mexico alone, for example, amounts to about 300 000 tonnes per year, explained Guy Hallman, a phytosanitation expert based in the United States of America. "Phytosanitary irradiation has advantages over other phytosanitary treatments, such as cold, heat and fumigation, which may alter the taste or texture of foods," Hallman said. Having more internationally accepted standards for irradiation could support the further uptake of this treatment option and increase trade, he added.

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), a multilateral treaty administered by the FAO, establishes standards to prevent and control the spread of pests. Blackburn said that these standards are the bedrock of all bilateral trade agreements for treated fruit and vegetables, but irradiation treatment standards only cite radiation doses that are species specific. Just 2 out of the 19 irradiation treatments recognized by the IPPC are generic treatments that prevent fruit flies from being able to spread through trade in fresh produce and reproduce in new locations where they could devastate farming and the environment.

In February 2022, the IAEA launched a coordinated research project to address this and develop at least five generic phytosanitary irradiation treatments for adoption by the IPPC to boost the commercial use of phytosanitary irradiation. These new generic irradiation treatments could potentially address more than 90 per cent of the quarantine issues encountered by traded fruits and vegetables, Blackburn said.