IAEA interested in mobile irradiators developed by India: DAE official

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has shown interest in mobile irradiators developed by India which can be used to prolong the shelf-life of food products, a top official said on Tuesday.

An India-made mobile irradiator was demonstrated at the IAEA office in Vienna last month, said Department of Atomic Energy secretary A K Mohanty at an event here.

"The IAEA is interested. If India or BRIT (Board for Radiation and Isotope Technology, a wing under the DAE) can make more (mobile irradiators), the IAEA can install them in other countries. The Director General of IAEA has written that he will be visiting (India) and if we can give him a few samples, the IAEA will put these in other countries which they need more," he said. Irradiators are useful for prolonging the shelf-life of food products and minimising crop loss, Mohanty said, adding that the technology would be especially useful in countries like Ghana where ginger is a cash crop (and needs preservation).

At the event at the BRIT complex in Navi Mumbai, Mohanty, who is also the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, launched an Industrial Radiography Device with applications in chemical industry, energy sector, defence, nuclear and aerospace industry.