Advanced technology in processing and preserving agricultural products and food

Staff monitor and control the medicinal irradiation process at the operation room of the Hanoi Irradiation Center.

Although rarely mentioned in daily life, this technology is playing an important role in ensuring food security, food safety, prolonging preservation time, and opening the door for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter the most demanding markets.

When it comes to “irradiation”, many people still easily confuse or associate it with dangerous radiation. In fact, food irradiation is the process of using ionizing radiation, emitted from a radioactive isotope source or electron accelerator, to process products. This ionizing radiation energy has the effect of inhibiting or destroying microorganisms, molds, and harmful insects, making food safe without being contaminated or changing its nutritional properties.

According to Mr. Tran Minh Quynh, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Irradiation Center: “Irradiation treatment can also prevent germination, slow down ripening and prolong food preservation time. Therefore, this advanced technology has been confirmed as safe by the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Atomic Energy Agency and recommended for application instead of chemical treatment.”

You can imagine irradiation as “bathing” food in a special light, helping to eliminate potential risks that are invisible to the naked eye.

The basic principle of irradiation is to control the radiation dose to suit the processing purpose and each type of product.

For example, irradiation to inhibit germination of potatoes and onions requires doses of 60-100 Gy. For the quarantine treatment of fresh fruits, international standards prescribe doses of 400-1,000 Gy, which is sufficient to control pests and diseases without damaging the fruit. Reduced contamination irradiation to preserve spice powder requires doses of up to 10 kGy.

During processing, the packaged product cartons pass through all locations in the irradiation chamber to ensure that the entire product receives the required absorbed dose. All takes place in an isolated space, ensuring absolute safety for the operator and the environment.

In Vietnam, food irradiation technology has been researched and deployed since the end of the last century. The Hanoi Irradiation Center under the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute is the first unit equipped with a semi-industrial scale irradiation line. The RPP-150M line here uses a Co-60 radioactive source, designed, manufactured and installed by the Russian Federation, and has been in operation since July 1991.

With this production line, the center has affirmed its pioneering role in food irradiation research and the application of radiation technology in socio-economic sectors. Some of the results have contributed to the country's economic development, such as mutant rice varieties (VND-95) and soybeans (DT-10), which are products of research cooperation with the Agricultural Genetics Institute and have been put into mass production in the period 1990-2000.

Based on the results achieved in the field of food irradiation such as research on irradiation to inhibit the germination of root and stem plants; irradiation to slow down the ripening of fresh fruits; irradiation to kill insects, parasites and harmful microorganisms, to reduce post-harvest food loss, ensuring food security; irradiation to sterilize spices and dried foods to improve food hygiene and safety, the Hanoi Irradiation Center has organized workshops with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to recommend to state management agencies. That is also the basis for the Ministry of Health to issue Decision 3616/2004/QD-BYT allowing irradiation treatment for seven food groups, contributing to ensuring food security, food safety and promoting exports.

With the advantage of processing packaged products and outstanding efficiency in controlling insects, microorganisms, and molds in food, food irradiation technology is currently applied at many irradiation facilities nationwide.

As the first irradiation facility in Vietnam licensed to process irradiation for quarantine of fresh fruits exported to Australia since 2016, the Hanoi Irradiation Center has annually processed hundreds of tons of lychee, longan and mango for businesses, helping to increase the value of Vietnamese agricultural products in the international market and improve people's income. Not only does it help prevent the spread of pests and diseases, irradiated fruits also stay fresh longer, can be transported long distances while still ensuring nutritional quality.

The ability of radiation to inhibit and destroy harmful insects, microorganisms, and molds also makes this advanced technology a priority choice in the preservation of medicinal herbs and raw materials for the production of traditional medicine, replacing chemical treatment that often leaves toxic residues that contaminate the product. Applying irradiation for preservation helps ensure the quality of medicinal herbs, creating safe and highly competitive products. Therefore, irradiation for preservation technology has also been used by many businesses in the field of medicinal herbs and traditional medicine to increase the quality and value of products.

The newly promulgated Law on Atomic Energy, effective from January 1, 2026, clearly demonstrates the State's policy in promoting the development and application of atomic energy for peaceful purposes, serving socio-economic development, protecting the environment, and improving the quality of people's lives. On that basis, the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute continues to promote research and application of nuclear techniques and radioactive isotopes in medicine, industry, agriculture and the environment, ensuring a pioneering role in research and transfer of irradiation technology applications, gradually expanding the scope of application, contributing to improving the value of Vietnamese agricultural products and affirming the mark of nuclear science and technology in life.

Article and photos: HA LINH

Source: https://nhandan.vn/cong-nghe-tien-tien-trong-xu-ly-va-bao-quan-nong-san-thuc-pham-post906423.html