POTENTIAL FUTURE CHALLENGES TO THE APPLICATION OF GAMMA IRRADIATION TO SEAFOOD IN TUNISIA

There is an increasing consumer demand for high quality, minimally processed, additive-free and microbiologically safe foods. The future application of irradiation to the seafood industry is developing. In order to investigate the feasibility of using gamma irradiation in the fish and seafood industry, questionnaires were distributed to the managers of 25 fish exporting companies. The cost of irradiation and the additional transport services were discussed and mostly accepted. This survey showed that essential conditions are to be found in Tunisia to introduce irradiation technology into the exporting seafood industry. However, the legal status of seafood irradiation varies in some importing countries (mainly European Union EU]). Regulators within the EU have taken different approaches to allowing processors to use this technology. Such inconsistency is related to the objection of misinformed consumers. Consequently, commercial trade of irradiated seafood could be impeded.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

This article provides evidence of the importance of industry managers' role in the food chain when testing the feasibility of a new process. Fish shelf-life extension using gamma irradiation is an emerging technology that presents many advantages to all food chain components and allows international trade requirements to be met. The seafood export industry in Tunisia shows the technological need for such a process. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that the economic cost of irradiation in Tunisia is acceptable and that it could enhance fish export capacity. However, the legal status of fish irradiation in the import countries, mainly the European Union, should be modernized in order to assure the feasibility of irradiated fish export from Tunisia.