MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) is advancing modern radiation processing to revolutionize food safety and open more doors for Filipino products in global markets.
PNRI, an agency under the Department of Science and Technology, is promoting the use of electron beam (e-beam) technology, which uses a stream of energy to decontaminate products without heat or chemicals.
The technology works like a supercharged light beam that kills germs, pests and bacteria while keeping products fresh and unchanged. The process can extend the shelf life of products such as fruits and herbs.
“E-beam opens the door for safer food, better margins and a credible path to global markets,” PNRI director Carlo Arcilla said, highlighting the technology’s potential to support local farmers and exporters.
PNRI, along with listed firm A Brown Co. Inc.’s subsidiary Irradiation Solutions Inc. (ISI E-Beam), staged a two-day summit last week, calling for a national roadmap to support the further adoption of the technology.
“Our regional neighbors have benefited from earlier adoption. We’re behind, but the technology, the use cases and the value are clear,” ISI E-Beam president Paul Juat said.
“This summit is our collective invitation to work together, to expand what’s been started and make e-beam work for Philippine industries,” he added.
In Asia-Pacific, Vietnam is already utilizing e-beam technology to support its fruit and seafood exports, while Australia has been leveraging irradiation to meet sanitary standards at scale.
The Philippines, however, only has two operational e-beam facilities: one run by PNRI in Quezon City and the other by ISI E-Beam in Tanay, Rizal.
PNRI’s existing irradiation facility – the first of its kind in the country – is intended for full-scale research and development, as well as semicommercial e-beam services.
ISI E-Beam, meanwhile, operates the country’s first commercial-scale facility capable of sterilizing food products, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, cosmetics and packaging materials.
To drive the technology’s widespread use in the country, PNRI irradiation services section head Haydee Solomon told The STAR the agency plans to establish another e-beam facility over the next two years.
The planned facility aims to expand PNRI’s irradiation services, making them accessible even to small businesses.
Amid concerns about radiation, Jordan Madrid of PNRI’s chemistry research section assured the public that e-beam technology is proven safe and reliable.
“It’s being used by other countries, and they have not found any negative impact. No reported negative impact—that’s why it’s being continuously used,” Madrid said on the sidelines of the e-beam summit.
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