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Irradiation – a Postharvest Alternative for Domestic/Export Market Access

Glenn RobertsonSteritech General Manager – Queensland

October 2012

Steritech services• Steritech is the leading sterilisation company in the Asia-Pacific

region and has provided services to businesses and government for more than 30 years.

• Steritech helps a variety of industries make their products safer, manage pests and meet regulatory requirements, including:– Medical equipment – Pharmaceutical goods and cosmetics– Agricultural products (e.g. animal feed and grain)– Packaging (e.g. milk powder bags, wine casks, corks, etc.) – Beehives (eliminates larvae that cause AFB & EFB).– Archives (elimination of mould)– Quarantine (e.g. goods seized by customs)– Herbs, spices and herbal teas– Food Irradiation for Phytosanitary/Market Access

requirements.

What is food irradiation?• Exposure of food items to a source of ionising energy – i.e.

gamma rays or X-rays• These gamma or X-rays eliminate bacteria, pests and other

pathogens.• Food irradiation approved for use in more than 60 countries –

estimated one million tonnes of food irradiated annually.• Recognised by international agencies (e.g. Codex, International

Plant Protection Commission, World Health Organisation, etc).• Codex Alimentarius Standard for Irradiated Food: “Any food

irradiated up to an overall average dose of 10 kGy is safe and wholesome.”

A safe and chemical free process• Irradiation is broad-spectrum, rapid, post harvest treatment that

at low levels kills or sterilises insects (e.g. Queensland fruit fly) without the use of chemicals.

• Scientific consensus after more than 50 years of research is irradiation produces food that is safe to eat – irradiating fruit and vegetables does not and cannot make them radioactive.

• Irradiation does not apply hot or cold temperatures, humidity or pressure to the fruit and vegetables and can be applied to product in its final packaging.

• Consumer response is varied – there is minimal understanding and many misconceptions are propagated by activists but ultimately consumers have consistently proven they will purchase irradiated food when given the opportunity and balanced information.

Is Irradiated Food Safe to Eat?

YES• There is overwhelmingly evidence that irradiated

food is toxicologically safe, and presents no significant nutritional or microbiological issues.

• Approximately 63 countries have approved at least one use of food irradiation.

• Codex Alimentarius issued a General Standard for Irradiated Food (1983, revised 2003).– Any food irradiated up to an overall average dose of 10 kGy

is safe and wholesome.• Note phytosanitary use has a maximum dose of 1 kGy

International Approvals - Health

• 23 countries have approved irradiation up to 1 kGy for all fruit and vegetables

• 12 countries have approved irradiation up to 1 kGy for specified fruits and vegetables

• 28 countries have approved irradiation as a disinfestation treatment– 7 other approvals are for delay of ripening or

maturation control

An Agreed Protocol for Irradiation as a Phytosanitary Treatment?

• The effectiveness of irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment is well established

• There are international guidelines and standards on the treatment

• These standards are based on a minimum dose to the insect that guarantees that any insect that does not die within a short time after treatment will be sterile or unable to develop into an adult capable of reproducing.

Irradiated Imports into US (tons)CountryCountry FruitFruit 20082008 20092009 20102010

IndiaIndia MangoMango 275275 130130 195195

ThailandThailand Longan (mainly)Longan (mainly) 17001700 18901890 18001800

VietnamVietnam DragonfruitDragonfruit 00 100100 850850

MexicoMexico GuavaGuava 257257 35213521 91219121

GrapefruitGrapefruit 00 6767 101101

MangoMango 00 00 239239

Sweet LimeSweet Lime 00 00 600600

Manzano PepperManzano Pepper 00 00 257257

TotalTotal 22322232 57085708 13,16313,163

A ready made solution for the horticultural industry

• Irradiation one ‘tool in the toolbox’ for managing pests and managing biosecurity/market access requirements.

• Regulatory status:– 9 tropical fruits approved for

irradiation by FSANZ– New Zealand market access secured– ICA-55 is currently in place– Industry research underway for other

select fruits and vegetables

Current and Future FSANZ Approved Commodities for Irradiation

FSANZ Approved Commodities Current Qld Govt and Industry Projects Future Qld Govt and Industry Projects

Mango Tomato Berries (rasp, blue & black)

Lychee Capsicum Mushrooms

Papaya (Paw paw) Cherries Eggplant

Bread Fruit Zucchini Passionfruit

Rambutan Nectarine

Custard Apple Rock Melon

Mangosteen Honeydew

Longan Table Grapes

Peach

Plum

Carambola Apricot

Persimmon (still pending Approval) Strawberry

New Zealand Market Access

• Growing volumes of irradiated tropical fruit being sold in New Zealand – mangoes and lychee (first shipment 2004).

• Market previously closed due to New Zealand biosecurity fruit fly restrictions.

• In the 2009 – 2010 season, more than 1,000 tonnes of mangoes – 25% of total Australian mango exports.

• Irradiated mangoes sold in mainstream retail channels – supermarkets (e.g. progressive/ Woolworths), specialist stores, etc.

• New Zealand operates under the same food safety and labelling system as Australia.

Export Market Access (New Zealand):Irradiation and the supply chain

Growing and Harvesting

Growing and Harvesting

Packing and Cooling

Packing and Cooling

Treated at Steritech

Narangba QLD

Treated at Steritech

Narangba QLD

Exported toNew Zealand via Sea or Air Freight

Exported toNew Zealand via Sea or Air Freight

NZ MAF Plant Health Inspection

NZ MAF Plant Health Inspection

Steritech has accredited Export Delegates and is authorised to perform onsite Plant Health Inspections

Export Delegate & AQIS Plant Health

Inspections

Export Delegate & AQIS Plant Health

Inspections

NZ WholesaleNZ Wholesale NZ RetailNZ Retail

2 hours treatment time2 hours treatment time

1 hour required for inspections1 hour required for inspections

Irradiated Imports into NZ (tonnes)

Season 2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11*

2011-12

Mango 19 129 201 346 585 1,095 620 1262

Papaya - - 12 1 - - -

Lychee - 5 10 20 57 110 15 48

TOTAL 19 134 223 367 642 1205 635 1310

* Season 2010-11 was adversely affected by severe weather conditions which dramatically reduced crop volumes

DOMESTIC APPROVAL: ICA-55

• Interstate Certification Assurance National Protocol (ICA-55)– A protocol for the use of irradiation as a

phytosanitary treatment for fresh fruits and vegetables within Australia

• ICA-55 applies to any fresh produce approved for irradiation by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ)

DOMESTIC APPROVAL: ICA-55

• ICA-55 sets minimum doses that guarantee the sterility of insect species for quarantine purposes irrespective of the host produce.

– 150 Gy for fruit flies of the family Tephriditae.– 300 Gy for mango seed weevil.– 400 Gy for all other pests of the class Insecta,

except pupae and adults of the order Lepidoptera

1 Gy = 1 Gray = 1 Joule of energy absorbed per kg food. 1 kGy = 1000 Gy

Domestic Market Access (ICA-55): Irradiation and the supply chain

Growing and Harvesting

Growing and Harvesting

Packing and Cooling

Packing and Cooling

Treated at Steritech

Narangba QLD

Treated at Steritech

Narangba QLD

WholesaleWholesaleTransport to

Vic, SA, WA or Tas

Transport to Vic, SA, WA or

TasRetailRetail

2 hours treatment time2 hours treatment time

Irradiation can fit in with the horticulture supply chain and maintain integrity of the ‘cool chain’.

Inter-state Trade in Australia

• ICA-55 provides a protocol for irradiation to be used to meet quarantine requirements for fresh produce crossing state and territory boundaries

• Preliminary trials have been carried out in late 2011 sending irradiated Queensland mangoes to Melbourne and Tasmania.

• The irradiated fruit was sold successfully at 5 retail outlets in Melbourne and several shops in Hobart, including Salamanca markets.

Irradiation Advantages

• It is rapid (approximately 1 hour treatment, total turnaround about 2 hours).

• Treated produce can be released into trade immediately.

• It is simple, depending only on conveyer speed and source power to set the dose. It is insensitive to temperature, humidity, pressure, etc.

• It is cost competitive with other alternatives to insecticide treatments.

Irradiation Advantages

• It is a broad spectrum treatment (all insects, all host produce).

• It is free of toxic chemical residues.• It is a cold treatment (no heating means fruit

can be more mature at harvest and often results in better fruit quality and shelf-life).

• It is penetrating (treatment in the final package; sterilizes insects throughout the fruit; fruit size and shape are unimportant).

Labeling Requirements

• FSANZ Standard 1.5.3 requires that irradiated foods be labeled in order to ensure consumers retain their right-to-choose

• Foods that are chemically treated do not have to be labeled

– However, labeling of irradiated foods has disarmed much of the criticism of the process.

Point of Sale

Conclusions

• Irradiation is a practical, efficient and effective phytosanitary treatment of fresh fruit and vegetables.

• Presently large volumes of irradiated fruits are imported annually into New Zealand and the USA.

• Experience has shown that consumer resistance is overestimated. Irradiated fruit has sold well at retail for several years.

• Labelling requirements, consumer concerns about chemical residues, and the likely use of accelerator-sources of radiation have all reduced the controversy previously associated with irradiation, and increased its consumer acceptance.

Conclusions

• Trade in irradiated fresh produce has grown steadily and appears set to continue to expand.

• 28 countries have approved irradiation of fresh fruits and vegetables for disinfestation purposes and at least 8 countries are involved in trade.

• Irradiation offers the prospect of decreasing reliance on toxic insecticide and fumigation treatments.

Next steps• Steritech would like to work with growers, industry and HAL, to raise

awareness about irradiation as a long-term alternative to post harvest chemical treatments and address any supply chain issues.

• Steritech has Council approval to expand the Narangba site – We have approval to build more cold storage.– We are progressing with plans to install an X-ray machine (would

improve capacity from 72,000 tonnes of fruit and veg per annum to >200,000 tonnes).

• Working with Qld Government and industry participants on expanding list of approved commodities:– Tomatoes and capsicums application has been lodged with FSANZ

and expected approval date is March/April 2013.– Further research is underway for 12 other commodities (including

Berries).

THANK YOUContact Details:Glenn Robertson

General Manager – Queenslandgrobertson@steritech.com.au

Bill HattonHorticulture Business Development

whatton@steritech.com.au