DOST extends expertise to lengthen rice shelf life

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) wants to help the National Food Authority (NFA) improve the shelf life of the rice it imports or buys from local farmers.

DOST Secretary Fortunato Dela Pena said they are looking at irradiation to improve the shelf life of rice when stored for prolonged periods in warehouses.

“If there’s enough irradiation capacity, we can do it,” Dela Pena told The Star on the sidelines of the 2018 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW).

At present, only the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) has the irradiation facility in the country.

While the facility is already running at maximum capacity, it could still not accommodate the irradiation needs of local food,  primarily spice exporters and medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing companies.

The DOST chief said they were assisting local listed firm, A. Brown Inc. which has a partnership with Rusatom Healthcare, a division of Russian State Atomic Energy Corp.

Rosatom plans to build an irradiation facility in in the Davao region that can service the needs of Mindanao’s fruit and food exporters.

Dela Pena said they also initiated talks with state-run National Development Corp. (Nadecor) to set up another irradiation facility in the Visayas region.

“We should have enough capacity for irradiation because it is much needed by the industry particularly our fruit exporters. This is one of our priority projects,” he said.

The DOST is also exploring partnerships with other private sector groups to set up another irradiation facility in Luzon.

Carlo Arcilla, director of the DOST-PNRI, said irradiation is the best technology for extending the shelf life of agricultural products.

“Compared to conventional methods, irradiation reduces microbes which causes spoilage and diseases without affecting the quality of food and agricultural products. As concluded by an expert committee of the World Health Organization, irradiated food is safe to eat and does not become radioactive,” Arcilla said.

“Our neighbor countries like Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia earn billions of dollars in exports of agricultural produce that have been irradiated,” he added.

Agricultural irradiation involves treating crops with a low dosage of ionizing radiation to eliminate bacteria and germs and to prevent the spread of pests  and ripening or spoilage during transit and storage.

The process reduces the risk of food-borne illnesses and increases longevity and shelf life.