Irradiation preserves blueberry, grape quality
Tuesday, January 5, 2016 - 15:24
in Health & Medicine
It is often necessary to treat produce for insects in order to transport crops out of quarantine areas. Fumigation with methyl bromide, one of the most common treatments, is in the process of being phased out because of its depleting effect on the ozone layer. Alternately, ionizing irradiation at low doses is being used worldwide as a promising phytosanitary treatment for fruit such as guava, rambutan, and mango. New research reveals that irradiation can also be effective for treating blueberries and grapes for export without compromising fruit quality.