Fruit irradiation - A proven quarantine treatment technology in replacing methyl bromide
Chettachai Banditsing
Proceedings of the APEC symposium on postharvest handling systems Bangkok, Thailand September 1-3, 2003. p. 129
2003
บทคัดย่อ
Fruit irradiation…………A proven quarantine treatment technology in replacing methyl bromide
Agricultural exports including fresh fruits and vegetables provide one of the sources of foreign exchange for many tropical countries. However, few tropical fruits can gain access to lucrative markets in Australia, Japan and USA because of infestation by quarantine pests especially fruits flies. Quarantine restrictions for the movement of fresh fruit may be overcome by applying a suitable postharvest disinfestation treatment. Such a treatment must satisfy quarantine authorities that the risk of an insect pest becoming established in a new area is virtually nil. Research work supported by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in the past two decades, significant amount of data were generated to demonstrate of the effectiveness of irradiation as a broad quarantine treatment against tephretid fruits flies and other insects of quarantine importance. The important factor which drives the interest in using irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment to enhance the international trade of irradiated fruits is the global phase out of methyl bromide, the most widely used fumigant for control of fresh and dried food, because of environmental reasons under the Montreal Protocol.