Irradiation

Photostimulated luminescence (PSL), electron-spin resonance (ESR) and thermoluminescence (TL) are the most commonly used physical techniques to analyse spices, herbs, dried fruits and nuts. ESR detects paramagnetic centres like radicals, which can be found in solid and dry parts of food such as bones, seeds, pips, stones and peels. This allows not only the analysis of dried food, but also of meat, seafood, fresh vegetables and fruits as well as of food packing material. PSL and TL detect light, which is emitted from irradiated minerals like silicates upon stimulation with light (PSL) or heat (TL). PSL is a fast and reliable screening method, whereas TL requires isolation of silicates from the test material and a second glow of the same sample after exposure to a fixed dose of radiation.

This suite of techniques makes Eurofins one of the very few commercial laboratories worldwide offering the full set of methods available for food-irradiation testing.

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