Standards for
Electron Beams Help Ensure Fungus-Free Organic Food
Source: American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Release date: November 6, 2008
via ThomasNet
Industrial Newsroom
Organic foods have become increasingly popular with diners
worldwide. However, cultivated without artificial pesticides, these crops often
succumb to funguses and diseases. A new practice developed with the help of
standards uses electron beaming to prevent fungal spores and pathogens from
growing on organic seeds.
Without the use of chemical pesticides, organic crops have
long been vulnerable to certain funguses and other plagues that could damage or
destroy plants, causing an undue financial burden on the farmer and an increase
in produce prices for shoppers. A new treatment from the Fraunhofer
Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology uses accelerated electrons to
strip seeds of fungal spores and pathogens. The microscopic beams destroy the
chemical bonds that hold together the foreign molecules, essentially causing
them to explode. The process can disinfect 200,000 seeds per second,
making it a rapid and chemical-free way to assure that crops will not be
diseased.
The use of electron beams for food purification is supported
by national and international standards. Guidelines for research on this
technology are provided in ISO/ASTM 51900:2002, Guide for dosimetry
in radiation research on food and agricultural products. The document covers
minimum requirements for dosimetry and absorbed-dose
validation needed to conduct research on the irradiation of food and
agricultural products, and gives guidelines to scientists who aim to establish
a quantitative relationship between the absorbed dose and the relevant effects
in these products.
This standard was originally developed by ASTM
International, a member and audited designator of the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI). The document was later adopted as an International
Standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical
Committee (TC) 85, Nuclear energy.
Another International Standard originally developed by ASTM
outlines the installation, operational, and performance qualifications for
irradiators that use electron beaming to treat food. ISO/ASTM 51431:2005,
Practice for dosimetry in electron beam and X-ray (bremsstrahlung) irradiation facilities for food processing
also includes information on routine processing and absorbed dosage in this
practice.
Electron beams are also used for food products beyond seeds
and plants. ASTM F1356-08, Standard Practice for Irradiation of Fresh and
Frozen Red Meat and Poultry to Control Pathogens and Other Microorganisms,
outlines procedures for the irradiation of fresh or frozen meat and poultry.
Developed by ASTM, the standard is applicable to both pre-packaged product for
retail sale and unpackaged product.
With advanced methods of treating seeds and food products
for fungus, the future for safe and tasty organic food is secure for farmers
and diners worldwide.
Food safety is an important issue for organic and
non-organic foods alike. ANSI will spotlight the critical role that conformity
assessment activities play in ensuring food safety in an upcoming event:
Bolstering Consumer Confidence: Establishing Third-Party Certification
Criteria.
Co-sponsored by ANSI, the event will be an engaging and
interactive forum for suppliers, retailers, regulatory agencies and trade
experts as they seek to enhance their food safety value proposition.
For more information, see the ANSI news item and event page.
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Company Information:
Name: American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
Address:
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State: NY
ZIP: 10036
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Phone: 212-642-4900
http://www.ansi.org/
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