The State Duma in the final reading adopted a law on the radiation safety of products, the official website of the State Duma reports. In the message, officials explained that radiation was used in the food industry in the last century, but only now the State Duma has fixed safety standards in this matter.
The document introduces the concept of processing agricultural and food products with ionizing radiation (radiation processing). Accordingly, the same document fixes the norms for a safe level of radiation when handling food products.
The authors of the bill believe that the consolidation of these concepts in the legislation stimulates the development of innovative technologies in the food industry. For example, it is known that this type of radiation can extend the shelf life of products by destroying harmful microorganisms. A longer shelf life can increase the availability of products to the public, as they can be more easily transported over long distances and stored more safely. At the same time, officials note, it is also important to ensure that the radiation does not exceed the norms that are safe for humans.