CHALLENGE

The world produces enough food to feed all 8 billion people, yet 828 million people starve every day for many reasons, including logistic issues and food spoilage. Hunger is both a cause and a consequence of forced migration.


High-wealth countries are able not only to provide local food but also to purchase sufficient imported food, unlike low- and middle-income countries. FAO and the IAEA have developed a joint Atomss4Food Initiative to help address food insecurity in countries unable to produce and buy enough food.


Source: https://www.who.int/, World Health Organization (2022, July 6).

BEAMCOMPLEX & ATOMS FOR FOOD EQUIPMENT

In order to support international food security programmes and help agricultural producers meet the challenges they face, Beamcomplex has developed and implements the Atoms for Food Equipment Programme.


The goal of our Atoms for Food Equipment Programme is to promote the advantage of radiation technology to increase the shelf life of agricultural products, reduce food loss and ensure food safety.


As part of the Atoms for Food Equipment Programme, Beamcomplex manufactures ready-made complexes with electron accelerators for rapid installation and start-up of food production to maximize food shelf life.


The availability of a center for food processing with ionizing radiation (E-beam/X-ray) using Atoms for Food Equipment will make it possible to create a large stock of food products with a shelf life of 5-10 years, which will make it possible to provide the population with food for a long period of time, despite the risk of limiting the immediate food supply due to armed conflicts, pandemics, natural or man-made disasters and other negative factors.


An E-beam (i.e. electron beam) consists of a stream of electrons accelerated to high speeds. They carry a negative charge and have a small mass, allowing them to accelerate rapidly under electric fields. This acceleration results in high-energy beams capable of performing intricate tasks in technology and research.


An X-ray (i.e. Röntgen radiation) is a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation with photons that carry enough energy to ionize atoms and disrupt molecular bonds. This makes it a type of ionizing radiation, impacting living and non-living tissues.

AREAS OF ACTIVITY

Research activities in the field of ionizing radiation application for foodstuff exposure.

The main direction is the Atoms for Food Equipment Programme — integrated solutions for processing food products to maximize their shelf life.

Practical development of ionizing radiation technology for phytosanitary treatment of products, substances and materials through the development and production of industrially available equipment (electron accelerators).

ATOMS FOR FOOD EQUIPMENT PROGRAMME FOCUSES ON
Production of ready-made container-type complexes with electron accelerators in local radiation shield and additional equipment for their quick installation at agricultural and food facilities
Construction of multifunctional centers with complexes equipped with electron accelerators for phytosanitary processing of food and agricultural products
Construction of centers for integrated treatment of food and agricultural products by ionizing radiation with application of additional technologies to ensure high shelf life for national food stocks
ATOMS FOR FOOD EQUIPMENT PROGRAM EQUIPMENT IS USED FOR
National food stocks of reserve funds for long-term storage of food products and phytosanitary treatment centers
Port terminals for fast treatment of products in closed refrigerated containers

Product manufacturing plants with local sterilization complexes inside the operating facilities
Substitutions of Co-60 sources with electron accelerators

IAEA RELATED RESOURCES

Food irradiation
Irradiating food has the same benefits as when it is heated, refrigerated, frozen or treated with chemicals, but without changing the temperature or leaving residues. The technique controls spoilage and food-borne pathogenic micro-organisms or insect pests without significantly affecting taste or smell.

IAEA
Sterile insect technique
The sterile insect technique is an environmentally-friendly insect pest control method involving the mass-rearing and sterilization, using radiation, of a target pest, followed by the systematic area-wide release of the sterile males by air over defined areas, where they mate with wild females resulting in no offspring and a declining pest population.

IAEA
Plant breeding
Irradiation can be used to induce mutations in plants with the goal to produce varieties that display improved product quality, have higher yields and yield stability, greater resilience to climate change and tolerance to environmental stresses. We help Member States use mutation techniques to optimise plant biodiversity.

IAEA
Animal nutrition
Nutritious feeds and forages constitute a major input for a healthy and productive livestock industry. Using nuclear and related technologies, we help optimize feed resources and feeding practices needed to address both current deficits and future demands of food production from animals.

IAEA

BENEFITS OF USING IONIZING RADIATION TECHNOLOGY FOR PHYTOSANITARY TREATMENT AND EXTENDING THE SHELF LIFE OF FOOD PRODUCTS UNDER NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY PROGRAMMES USING OUR EQUIPMENT

  • 1
    Enabling conditions for the formation of a reserve fund of food products with extended shelf life
  • 2
    Reducing the risks of social tensions in society due to food shortages
  • 3
    Reducing the risks of food shortages in countries when supply chains (imports) are disrupted in the event of environmental disasters, climate change, armed conflicts, pandemics and other disruptions.
  • 4
    Increasing in exports of agricultural products
  • 5
    Enabling supply of food products to food-needy countries
  • 6
    Setting up conditions for agriculture development
  • 7
    Providing conditions to reduce intestinal diseases
  • 8
    Supplying food products from national food stocks to domestic markets to decrease food prices during the period of price growth caused by food shortages

PRODUCTS TREATED WITH ATOMS FOR FOOD EQUIPMENT

SHELF LIFE OF PRODUCTS TREATED WITH IONIZING RADIATION
!The shelf life of processed bulk products is valid provided they are stored in vacuum packaging with an oxygen barrier

PRODUCT TREATMENT METHODS
The complexes can be simultaneously equipped with 2-3 conveyor systems for product treatment with electrons in bulk in one layer, in bags, in boxes and on pallets.
After treatment, products processed in a one-layer bulk can be moved to a silo or bagged on a packaging line set up in a sterile area.

Your food security starts here!

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