Quezon City, Philippines – Much of the Philippines’ spice and herbal products industry relies on the country’s only gamma irradiator for microbiological decontamination, but the facility at the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) can no longer cope with the increased demand. PNRI is working to upgrade the facility, with the help of the IAEA, and is lending support to the private sector and the government’s National Development Company to establish a commercial facility in the near future.
“Irradiation is the most effective method for the decontamination of our products and not having the necessary access to the facility at PNRI will hurt our business,” said Jojo Orolfo, Vice President for Sales and Marketing at Farmtec Foods Inc, one of the 91 clients of PNRI’s irradiation facility. Farmtec Foods manufactures dehydrated shrimp products that are used as snack flavouring in the food industry, and makes deliveries of its products to PNRI’s gamma irradiation facility in Quezon City near Manila weekly. But lately, Farmtec’s access to the facility has been limited, as PNRI has an increasing number of clients to satisfy, while at the same time the radioactive source that produces the gamma rays is decaying and can supply a decreasing amount of radiation.
“We are primarily a research institute, and what the industry needs at this stage is a commercial operation,” said Carlo A. Arcilla, PNRI’s director. “With a high capacity irradiator available, a lot of the country’s agricultural produce could become more competitive abroad.”
Irradiation with gamma rays, a form of penetrating electromagnetic radiation produced during the radioactive decay of atomic nuclei, kills microorganisms and is used to decontaminate spices, seasonings, dehydrated vegetables and cosmetic raw materials. It is also used for the sterilization of medical devices and packaging materials.
Its use on a large scale could help grow the country’s banana exports – increasing the shelf life of the fruits without the need for chemicals. “It would expand export markets to beyond our immediate neighbourhood,” Arcilla said. “Imagine the extra revenue the country could make.”
