Radura

The Radura is the international symbol indicating a food product has been irradiated. All irradiated products sold in the United States since 1986 must carry the Radura. The Radura is usually green and resembles a plant in circle. The top half of the circle is dashed.

Meaning of the word Radura
The word RADURA is derived from radurization, in itself an artificial word combining the initial letters of the word "radiation" with the female for of "durus", the Latin word for hard, lasting.

History
The inventors of the symbol RADURA - knowing this proposal - came from the former Pilot Plant for Food Irradiation, Wageningen, Netherlands, which was the nucleus for the later Gammaster today known as Isotron. The director at the time, R.M. Ulmann, introduced this symbol to the international community.

Dr. Ulmann in his lecture also provided the interpretation of this symbol: denoting food - as an agricultural product - i.e. a plant (dot and two leaves) in a closed package (the circle) - irradiated from top through the package by penetrating ionizing rays (the breaks in the upper part of the circle).

Originally, it was used in the 60's exclusively by the Pilot Plant for food irradiation, Wageningen, Netherlands, owning the copyright; and it was the then president of Gammaster, Jan Leemhorst who propagated the use of this logo internationally. The use of the logo was permitted to everybody adhering to the same rules of quality. The symbol was also widely used by Atomic Energy of South Africa, including the labelling by the term 'radurized' instead of irradiated. By his intervention, the new logo was also included in the Codex Alimentarius Standard on irradiated food as an option to label irradiated food. Today it is found in the Codex Alimentarius Standard on Labelling of Prepacked Food.

Usage
The symbol RADURA was always used as a symbol of quality exclusively for food processed by ionizing radiation. The Dutch pilot plant used the logo as an identification of irradiated products and as a promotion tool for a high quality product with extended shelf life. In supermarkets where the irradiated mushrooms were on sale the logo was dominantly shown and buyers received a leaflet with information about the process and the advantages of the treated products. In clearances for other products granted by the Dutch authorities at later dates, application of the logo on the product or a clearly visible logo near treated bulk product was even demanded.

Symbology
Following the later interpretation by some food and process engineers, the symbol may also be read the following way:

- The central dot is the radiation source. - The two circle segments ('leaves') are the biological shield to protect the workers and the environment. - The outer ring is the transport system, the lower half of it is shielded from radiation by the biological shield, the upper broken half symbolizes the rays hitting the target goods on the transport system.

Perception
The allegations of the opponents to food irradiation, this RADURA-logo would be 'too positive' by showing a green, growing plant is without substance. Their proposal to use instead the international warning symbols for radiation hazard or bio-hazard would be misleading the consumer as such hazards do not originate from irradiated food.

As part of its approval, the FDA requires that irradiated foods include labeling with either the statement “treated with radiation” or “treated by irradiation,” along with the Radura. Irradiation labeling requirements apply only to foods sold in stores. For example, irradiated spices or fresh strawberries should be labeled. Irradiation labeling does not apply to restaurant foods or processed foods.

The requirement is seen by consumer groups as a helpful warning to consumers concerned about food irradiation. The food industry, on the other hand sees the labeling requirement as a barrier to bring cheaper, safer foods to consumers.