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:

  1. Gamma Irradiation Facility
  2. Dosimetry Laboratory
  3. Food and Medical Laboratory
  4. Polymer Laboratory
  5. Sensory Evaluation Laboratory

 

  1. RESEARCH PROGAMMES

Research programmes of the Centre aregrouped in the following thematic areas:

 Promoting the safety of foods/agricultural commodities through radiation processing 

  1. Improving the microbiological quality of food products through irradiation.
  2. Enhancing the hygienic quality of herbal  products through irradiation
  3. Enhancing the quarantine status of food exports through irradiation

 

Radiation processing of natural polymers

  1. Development, characterization and applications of modified starches, chitosan and flours for socioeconomic development of Ghana.
  2. Development and evaluation of fortified/composite flours for applications in bakery and related food industries.
  3. Preparation and characterization of nanomaterials and biobased-carriers for applications in food, health and environment.

Improving food quality through radiation processing

  1. Nutritional evaluation of irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.
  2. Evaluation of health-promoting phytochemicals in irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.
  3. Sensory evaluation of irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.
  4. Physico-chemical and functional properties of irradiated and un-irradiated food/agricultural commodities.

Radiation sterilisation of healthcare products for high sterility assurance levels

  1. Radiation sterilisation of single-use and re-usable medical items.
  2. Radiation sterilisation and decontamination of pharmaceutical and cosmetic items.
  3. Development of quality control procedures for radiation sterilisation.

 

 Radiation safety and validation

  1. Characterisation of process control procedures for irradiation.
  2. Studies of dosimetric properties of local materials.
  1. 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:

  1. Radiation processing of food and healthcare items.
  2. Microbiological analysis of food and non-food items.
  3. Physico-chemical analysis of food and non-food items.
  4. Determination of functional properties of starch/flour
  5. 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:

  1. Food irradiation
  2. Sterilization of healthcare products
  3. Industrial processing.

Training services for:

  1. HND, B.Sc. , M. Phil. And PhD students
  2. Food processors and handlers
  3. Laboratory technicians/technologists