The Radura is the international symbol indicating a food product has been irradiated. The Radura is usually green and resembles a

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

circle A circle is a shape consisting of all points in a plane that are at a given distance from a given point, the centre. Equivalently, it is the curve traced out by a point that moves in a plane so that its distance from a given point is const ...

. 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 Food irradiation is the process of exposing food and food packaging to ionizing radiation, such as from gamma rays, x-rays, or electron beams. Food irradiation improves food safety and extends product shelf life (preservation) by effectively ...

, in itself a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsD.A.E. Ehlermann, The Radura terminology and food irradiation, Food Control 20(2009), 526-528,

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 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).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 The Radura was originally used in the 1960s exclusively by a

pilot plant A pilot plant is a pre-commercial production system that employs new production technology and/or produces small volumes of new technology-based products, mainly for the purpose of learning about the new technology. The knowledge obtained is then ...

for food irradiation in

Wageningen Wageningen () is a municipality and a historic city in the central Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. It is famous for Wageningen University, which specialises in life sciences. The municipality had a population of in , of which many t ...

, Netherlands that owned the copyright. Jan Leemhorst, then president of Gammaster, 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 The Codex Alimentarius () is a collection of internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and other recommendations published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations relating to food, food production ...

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 originally used as a symbol of quality for food processed by ionizing radiation. 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 Shelf-stable food (sometimes ambient food) is food of a type that can be safely stored at room temperature in a sealed container. This includes foods that would normally be stored refrigerated but which have been processed so that they can be s ...

. 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.

Perception

Perceptions of the Radura are often intertwined with common misconceptions of irradiation. Irradiation of food has not been widely adopted in the state of New York due to negative public perceptions, concerns expressed by some consumer groups and the reluctance of many food producers. Proponents of food irradiation have been frustrated by proposals to use international warning symbols for radiation hazard or bio-hazard since irradiated food does not pose any radiological or biological hazards. The

European Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...

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

U.S. Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food s ...

(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

version; the 'leaves' being empty areas.) Such requirements are seen by consumer groups as helpful information to consumers concerned about

food irradiation Food irradiation is the process of exposing food and food packaging to ionizing radiation, such as from gamma rays, x-rays, or electron beams. Food irradiation improves food safety and extends product shelf life (preservation) by effectively ...

References

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External links

Food Irradiation: What You Need to Know
Certification marks Food and Drug Administration Food preservation Radiation