Radura

The Radura is the international symbol indicating a food product has been irradiated. The Radura is usually green and resembles a plant in circle. The top half of the circle is dashed. Graphical details and colours vary between countries.

Meaning of the word Radura

The word RADURA is derived from radurization, in itself an artificial word combining the initial letters of the word "radiation" with the stem of "durus", the Latin word for hard, lasting. [D.A.E. Ehlermann, The RADURA-terminology and food irradiation, Food Control (2008) in press, doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2008.07.023]

History

The inventors of the symbol RADURA - knowing this proposal for a new terminology - came from the former Pilot Plant for Food Irradiation, Wageningen, Netherlands, which was the nucleus for the later Gammaster today known as Isotron. The director at the time, R.M. Ulmann, introduced this symbol to the international community. [Ulmann, R.M., Introducing irradiated foods to the producer and consumer, in: Peaceful uses of atomic energy, Proceedings of the fourth international conference on the peaceful uses of atomic energy, v. 12 p. 299-308, Vienna (Austria), IAEA, 1972]

Dr. Ulmann in his lecture also provided the interpretation of this symbol: denoting food - as an agricultural product - i.e. a plant (dot and two leaves) in a closed package (the circle) - irradiated from top through the package by penetrating ionizing rays (the breaks in the upper part of the circle).

Originally, it was used in the 60's exclusively by the Pilot Plant for food irradiation, Wageningen, Netherlands, owning the copyright; and it was the then president of Gammaster, Jan Leemhorst who untiringly propagated the use of this logo internationally. The use of the logo was permitted to everybody adhering to the same rules of quality. The symbol was also widely used by Atomic Energy of South Africa, including the labelling by the term 'radurized' instead of irradiated. By his intervention, the new logo was also included in the Codex Alimentarius Standard on irradiated food as an option to label irradiated food. Today it is found in the Codex Alimentarius Standard on Labelling of Prepacked Food.CODEX-STAN - 1 (2005) labelling of prepacked food http://www.codexalimentarius.net/download/standards/32/CXS_001e.pdf ]

Usage

The symbol RADURA was always used as a symbol of quality exclusively for food processed by ionizing radiation.Fact|date=January 2008 The Dutch pilot plant used the logo as an identification of irradiated products and as a promotion tool for a high quality product with extended shelf life. In supermarkets where the irradiated mushrooms were on sale the logo was dominantly shown and buyers received a leaflet with information about the process and the advantages of the treated products. In clearances for other products granted by the Dutch authorities at later dates, application of the logo on the product or a clearly visible logo near treated bulk product was even demanded.

Symbolism

Following the later interpretation by some food and process engineers, the symbol may also be read the following way:

- The central dot is the radiation source. - The two circle segments ('leaves') are the biological shield to protect the workers and the environment. - The outer ring is the transport system, the lower half of it is shielded from radiation by the biological shield and resembles also the loading area, the upper broken half symbolizes the rays hitting the target goods on the transport system.Who|date=December 2007

Perception

The allegations of the opponents to food irradiation is, that this RADURA-logo would be 'too positive' by showing a green, growing plant. Their proposal to use instead the international warning symbols for radiation hazard or bio-hazard is basically false and misleading: irradiated food does not pose any radiological or biological hazard. [J.F. Diehl, Safety of Irradiated Foods, MarcellDekker, New York, 1995] [anon., Food Irradiation - A technique for preserving and improving the sfety of Food, WHO, Geneva, 1991] [anon., WHO decides. Food irradiation safe at any level, Public Health Reports 113(1998), 6]

The European Community does not provide for the use of the RADURA-logo and relies exclusively on labeling by the appropriate phrases in the respective languages of the Member States. Furthermore, irradiated ingredients have to be labeled even down to the last molecule contained in the final product; it is also required that restaurant food is labeled according to the same rule. Other countries and regions have varying regulations.

As part of its approval, the FDA requires since 1986 that irradiated foods include labeling with either the statement “treated with radiation” or “treated by irradiation,” along with the Radura. In the USA, irradiation labeling requirements apply only to foods sold in stores. For example, irradiated spices or fresh strawberries should be labeled. Irradiation labeling does not apply to restaurant foods or processed foods. [FDA, Irradiation in the production, processing and handling of food. Final rule, Fed. Reg., 51: 13376-13399 (1986)this is the initial and general ruling; later amendments on various details have been published in Fed. Reg.] (NOTE: The RADURA-symbol as compulsory under FDA-rule has a design slightly different from the Codex Alimentarius version; the 'leaves' being empty areas.)

Such requirements are seen by consumer groups as helpful information to consumers concerned about food irradiation. The food industry, on the other hand, sees the labeling requirement as a barrier to bringing cheaper, less-fresh food to the consumer.Who|date=December 2007

References

External links

* [http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-bckg.html Information] at FDA/Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition website
* Image files:
** [http://www.fsis.usda.gov/images/radura300.jpg300 dpi JPG image (about 2" printed)]
** [http://www.fsis.usda.gov/images/Radura-Symbol.eps EPS Vector Graphic Image]