One of the most important and common applications of irradiation technology is the sterilization of medical materials with gamma rays. Sterilization of medical products that will come into contact with body tissues or preparations to be injected into the body is mandatory by international standards in terms of human health. The demand for single-use sterile products in the world increases by 5-6% on average every year. Today, almost more than 50% of disposable products are sterilized by irradiation.
1. Surgical gloves
2. Surgical clothes, drapes, masks and sets
3. Surgical sutures
4. Alcohol wipes
5. Baby Bottle
6. Eye drops and ointments
7. Hospital, dentist and surgical supplies
8. Pharmaceutical and cosmetic raw materials
9. First aid supplies, wound care kits
in the upper part We talked about group E chemicals and said that we haven't seen the names of group E additives in the ingredient section lately. So why don't we see it? When we look at the international institutions and organizations that have a consensus about the safety of food irradiation in terms of health, we find these data.
• WHO
• FDA
• FAO
• IAEA
• Codex Alimentarius Commission
• Scientific Committee of European Union
These organizations, whose short names are given, have established a standard on Food Safety and have decided that consuming irradiated foods at certain doses will not pose a health hazard and toxicological hazard.
Yes, I know it's not fully understood.
Food irradiation is the process of irradiating food in sufficient doses in accordance with its technological purpose, using gamma rays.
What does it mean to be irradiated at a Sufficient Dose?
Substances according to the irradiation dose accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO); FOOD 0,1-10 kGray MEDICATION CAN BE IRRARED at 0,1-25 kGray!
WHAT IS GRAY?
It is the amount of RADIATION that gives 1 Joule of energy to 1 kg of IRARED MATERIAL.
Food safety is a food preservation method. Food irradiation is a method used for food preservation rather than sterilization. Apart from traditional food preservation methods such as salting, drying, freezing, heat treatment, irradiation is also used.
Food safety Increases the shelf life of foods. Irradiation is carried out to destroy food-borne disease-causing microorganisms such as E.Coli, Salmonella, Listeria, to prevent sprouting and maturation in foods, to prevent the formation of insects and parasites that damage foods, and to increase the shelf life of foods.
Food Safety is Reliable in terms of Health. Irradiation of foods is not a new method of food preservation; In these studies, the toxicological, genetic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects of irradiated foods were examined and irradiation of foods was allowed with national and international legal regulations.
Food Safety Helps Prevent Foodborne Diseases. Since 1972, NASA astronauts have been given irradiated food to consume during their space travels. At the same time, it is recommended to give irradiated foods to diabetic patients treated in hospitals and patients with weak immune systems, cancer therapy, HIV virus or organ transplant patients.
Food Security Contributes to the Country's Economy. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that post-harvest food losses in the world correspond to 25% of all production. Post-harvest foods are contaminated by parasites, bacteria and other microorganisms, causing serious losses for the country's economy.
For Food and Pharmaceutical Irradiation; Two main reasons why the irradiation method should be preferred. The need for other methods to protect human health has increased the interest in the irradiation process due to the fact that food-borne diseases have begun to threaten human health significantly, and the consequences of epidemics and deaths have been observed. The number of food-borne diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria is thought to be between 1994 million and 6.5 million per year in the USA, according to 33 CAST (Council of Agriculture Science and Technology) data, and according to these data, it is estimated that 9000 people die from food-borne diseases annually. It is an effective method for preserving foods, which is used to purify them from microorganisms that cause spoilage and damage the products.
Examples of Countries That Carry out Food Irradiation in the World
France: Spices, aromatic herbs, dried fruit and vegetables, processed chicken meat, frozen frog legs, etc.
Belgium: Spices, aromatic blends, dried fruit and vegetables, herbal teas, fresh and frozen meat and poultry, frozen seafood, frozen frog legs, cheese, starch, etc.
Germany: Dried aromatic herbs and spices, vegetable and vegetable powder, herbal tea and oil seeds
Netherlands: Spices and aromatic mixtures, dried fruit and vegetables, frozen meat, frozen shrimp, egg whites, frogs, etc.
Is There a Legal Regulation for Food Irradiation in Turkey?
As a result of the joint work carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency in Turkey, the “Food Irradiation Regulation” was first published in the official gazette and entered into force on 6 November 1999. With the latest amendments, “Food Irradiation Regulation” was published in the Official Gazette on 19 December 2003 and entered into force.
FOOD IRRADIATION IN OUR COUNTRY
Does a long or short shelf life mean the product is good or bad?
No, it won't. Manufacturers determine the shelf life differently according to the product feature in order to ensure that the product is produced in the most ideal way and meets the consumer under ideal conditions.
Radura sign? This symbol means that medicine or food is irradiated with Gamma Ray.
If sterilization is to be applied for a drug or food, the dose range should not exceed 25kGray. Usually, the range of 0,1-5 kGray is preferred in food and drug sterilization processes, because the radiation residue is damped in a short time on the food or medicine, that is, zero is achieved in a short time. In academic studies, studies are carried out in the range of 1-25 kGray.
There are two authorized units for Pharmaceutical Food Sterilization in our country. The first is the Turkish Atomic Energy Agency, and the second is the organization called Gamma-Pak.
Dear reader, we have come to the end of another article. Stay with love.
Resources;
1. Investigation of structural defects caused by gamma radiation in some drugs by electron paramagnetic resonance and simulation technique Ph.D. Thesis, Fırat AKBALIK Ph.D.
2. https://gammapak.com/gida-isinlamasi
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPz7pSZtR8w
Author : Dr. Firat AKBALIK
📩 16/11/2021 20:52
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