Context:
Role of Nuclear technologies highlighted at the International Symposium on Food Safety and Control, held in Vienna, Austria.
Nuclear Technologies in Food system:
- Animal health – Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests can help in rapidly detecting diseases.
- Soil and water management – Radioactive nuclides left behind after nuclear events can help scientists determine the health of soil and rate of erosion.
- Insect pest management – Nuclear based Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to manage pest.
- Food safety and control – Food irradiation (the application of ionizing radiation to food) improves the safety and extends the shelf life of foods by reducing or eliminating microorganisms and insects.
- Plant Breeding and Genetics – Desired Genetic changes can be done by irradiation.
Key Initiatives:
- Global –
- Atoms4Food Initiative – By FAO and IAEA
- Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture
- India –
- Technology demonstration plants such as KRUSHAK at Lasalgaon, Nashik for low dose radiation treatment
- Radiation Processing Plant (RPP) in Navi Mumbai for high dose radiation treatment.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) brought Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Sixth Amendment Regulations, 2016, to harmonize food irradiation rules with the international regulation.
Source: IAEA
Previous Year Question
The function of heavy water in a nuclear reactor is to
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2011 Prelims]
(a) Slow down the speed of neutrons
(b) Increase the speed of neutrons
(c) Cool down the reactor
(d) Both (a) and (c)
Answer: (a)
