Phytosanitary irradiation

Phytosanitary irradiation is a treatment that uses ionizing radiation on commodities, such as fruits and vegetables to inactivate pests, such as insects.

[4] Research in the early 1900s demonstrated that X-rays can destroy and hinder the development of the egg, larval and adult stages of cigar beetles.

[1] In that same year, the first case of commercial phytosanitary irradiation occurred with Puerto Rican mangoes imported to the Florida market.

Global trade allows for the procurement of seasonal produce all year round from all over the world, however, there are risks involved due to the spread of invasive species.

Irradiation is highly effective as a phytosanitary measure and as a non-thermal treatment, also helps maintain quality of fresh produce.

[1][7] The most commonly used generic dose is 400 Gy to cover most pests of concern except pupae and adults of the order Lepidoptera, which includes moths and butterflies.

A key advantage of phytosanitary irradiation is that treatment doses are tolerated by many commodities without adverse effects on their sensory and physicochemical profiles.

[5] Conventional methods of phytosanitation, such as hot water dips and fumigation with methyl bromide, can affect sensory quality and damage the fruit.

[6] Although phytosanitary irradiation has seen an increase in use globally, lack of consumer acceptance in the European Union, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan limits its use in countries for which these are major export markets.