Food can be preserved in a number of ways, from the more conventional canning, cooling, and drying to the more contemporary irradiation method. Food is irradiated to destroy dangerous bacteria and insects without changing the food’s flavour or nutritional content. Ionizing radiation can take the form of gamma rays, X-rays, or electron beams. In Nigeria, where 40% of food is wasted between harvest and consumption owing to inadequate transportation, storage facilities, and poor infrastructure, this technique may be extremely important in decreasing food loss and waste.
With perishable goods like fruits, vegetables, and staple crops, food loss is particularly bad. Food Security issues will probably get worse because Nigeria’s population is predicted to double by 2050. Approximately $3 billion is spent on food imports each year, with 10% of Nigeria’s food currently coming from imports. Since the nation imports a lot of agricultural products, supply interruptions on a worldwide scale could affect it. Reduced reliance on imports, increased food security, and decreased food waste could all be achieved by utilizing cutting-edge preservation techniques like irradiation.
It is possible to prevent billions of dollars’ worth of losses every year.
Nigeria has just one irradiation centre, thus access to facilities is limited, despite the fact that the technique has been shown to be effective in reducing food losses in other African nations like South Africa and Ghana. Increasing the country’s food supply, decreasing spoilage, and improving Food Safety could all be accomplished by increasing access to this technology. While there is little research on food irradiation in Nigeria, the statistics from across the world and the pilot initiatives that are now in place indicate that there is a lot of promise for lowering food spoilage and financial losses.
Researchers from the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) found that in trials conducted across a few states, irradiation effectively reduced post-harvest losses by 30–40% by reducing deterioration in perishable items like fish, vegetables, and fruits. It is possible to prevent billions of dollars’ worth of losses every year if fruits and vegetables treated with irradiation maintain their quality for up to three times longer than those that are not. This is demonstrated by the trials. Moreover, this method contributes to a decrease in foodborne infections by lowering microbial contamination, which lowers healthcare expenditures and improves public health.
Policymakers should give priority to funding irradiation facilities.
There are a number of obstacles preventing the use of irradiation in Nigeria, such as costly startup costs, inadequate infrastructure, and negative public opinion. A developing Economy would have to invest a significant amount of money to establish irradiation facilities, which can cost anywhere between $5 million and $10 million each. The presence of regulatory obstacles is another difficulty, since Nigeria’s Agriculture and food safety laws must conform to global norms in order to be widely embraced. Furthermore, misunderstandings regarding the nature and safety of the Technology frequently contribute to the public’s unfavourable opinion of the technique.
Irradiation is a more environmentally friendly preservation technique than traditional techniques including fumigation, refrigeration, and chemical treatments. It doesn’t take a lot of energy like cold storage systems or leave toxic residues behind. For example, the usage of hazardous chemical fumigants, which are hazardous to human health as well as the environment, can be replaced by irradiating spices. Because the process doesn’t include any water or a lot of heat, it uses less energy and produces less carbon dioxide Emissions than canning or pasteurization techniques. Policymakers should give priority to funding irradiation facilities through public-private partnerships in order to expand irradiation technology in Nigeria and lessen budgetary burdens.
Training programs for farmers, stakeholders would increase efficiency.
To enable more seamless integration, regulatory organizations must rationalize approval procedures and conform to global guidelines established by the FAO and WHO. Public awareness programs run by NGOs, government organizations, and Trade associations could assist in debunking misunderstandings and promote acceptance by educating the public about the advantages and safety of this method. By guaranteeing the correct use and upkeep of irradiation equipment, training programs for farmers, processors, and other stakeholders would increase efficiency. Targeted assistance for smallholder farmers would guarantee that the advantages are widely dispersed throughout the industry, and Subsidies or Tax breaks for companies engaging in this method might further promote uptake.