The Radiation Technology Centre is one of the five centres of the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI). The Centre focuses on the application of nuclear techniques for post-harvest management of agricultural products and improvement of the hygienic quality of healthcare products. The Centre has the following facilities and laboratories:
- Gamma Irradiation Facility
- Dosimetry Laboratory
- Food and Medical Laboratory
- Polymer Laboratory
- Sensory Evaluation Laboratory
- RESEARCH PROGAMMES
Research programmes of the Centre aregrouped in the following thematic areas:
Promoting the safety of foods/agricultural commodities through radiation processing
- Improving the microbiological quality of food products through irradiation.
- Enhancing the hygienic quality of herbal products through irradiation
- Enhancing the quarantine status of food exports through irradiation
Radiation processing of natural polymers
- Development, characterization and applications of modified starches, chitosan and flours for socioeconomic development of Ghana.
- Development and evaluation of fortified/composite flours for applications in bakery and related food industries.
- Preparation and characterization of nanomaterials and biobased-carriers for applications in food, health and environment.
Improving food quality through radiation processing
- Nutritional evaluation of irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.
- Evaluation of health-promoting phytochemicals in irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.
- Sensory evaluation of irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.
- Physico-chemical and functional properties of irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.
Radiation sterilisation of healthcare products for high sterility assurance levels
- Radiation sterilisation of single-use and re-usable medical items.
- Radiation sterilisation and decontamination of pharmaceutical and cosmetic items.
- Development of quality control procedures for radiation sterilisation.
Radiation safety and validation
- Characterisation of process control procedures for irradiation.
- Studies of dosimetric properties of local materials.
- COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES
In addition, the Centre undertakes the following commercial activities:
Analytical and Technical Services
The Centre offers analytical and technical services in the following areas:
- Radiation processing of food and healthcare items.
- Microbiological analysis of food and non-food items.
- Physico-chemical analysis of food and non-food items.
- Determination of functional properties of starch/flour
- Sensory evaluation of food and drinks.
Food product development and value-addition to agricultural produce
Developing and marketing new food products and value-added produce
Consultancy and Training Services
The Centre provides consultancy in following areas of radiation processing:
- Food irradiation
- Sterilization of healthcare products
- Industrial processing.
Training services for:
- HND, B.Sc. , M. Phil. And PhD students
- Food processors and handlers
- Laboratory technicians/technologists