How Nuclear Science Can Keep Food Fresh and Cut Waste Costing Billions

Marking the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29, the agency explained how nuclear science can help protect harvests, keep food fresh and prevent unnecessary disposal through five practical applications.

The strawberries that spoil in a fridge and the crops destroyed before harvest belong to a much bigger story of wasted food, money and resources. About one billion tonnes of food are wasted each year globally, representing nearly a fifth of the food reaching consumers, according to figures highlighted by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Marking the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste on September 29, the agency explained how nuclear science can help protect harvests, keep food fresh and prevent unnecessary disposal through five practical applications.

Figures from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) put food losses before retail at 13.2 per cent, with an estimated value of US$400 billion, and a further 19 per cent is wasted at retail and consumer levels. The damage extends beyond the food itself because producing, transporting and storing something that nobody eats consumes valuable resources and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and biodiversity loss. Through their Joint Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, the FAO and IAEA support countries in addressing these losses across the journey from farms to consumers.

Giving fresh food more time to reach the table

For growers and sellers handling perishable produce, a few extra days of freshness can make a meaningful difference to how much food reaches someone's plate. Food irradiation uses X-rays, gamma rays or electron beams to reduce microorganisms and pests responsible for spoilage, extending the useful life of fruits, vegetables, grains and spices. The IAEA describes the process as safe and non-invasive, with refrigerated strawberries offering a practical example: irradiation can help them last up to seven days longer. That additional time can reduce losses during storage and transport.

Deciding whether food is safe also requires reliable evidence, particularly when laboratory findings can lead to shipments being withdrawn, rejected at borders or discarded. Nuclear and related methods, including X-ray fluorescence, neutron activation, stable isotope techniques and advanced laboratory diagnostics, help identify contaminants quickly and accurately. Better testing strengthens food safety controls and reduces uncertainty, helping authorities identify unsafe products and avoid throwing away food that is suitable for consumption.

Protecting harvests from disease and destructive pests

A substantial share of food disappears before it leaves the farm, making healthier, more resilient crops another part of the response. Mutation breeding and associated biotechnologies help scientists develop varieties with greater resistance to disease, tolerance of drought and salty conditions, and higher yields. In Mauritius, support from the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre helped scientists develop a cauliflower variety resistant to black rot through radiation-induced plant breeding, providing a way to reduce pesticide use and strengthen food security by tackling a disease that threatens harvests.

Insect pests destroy millions of tonnes of crops annually, a problem the sterile insect technique addresses by disrupting reproduction. Large numbers of insects are bred in specialised facilities, sterilised using ionizing radiation and released into affected areas, where mating with wild insects produces no offspring and gradually reduces the pest population. The technique has helped countries such as the Dominican Republic eradicate damaging insect pests, protecting agricultural production and supporting access to export markets.

Cutting border delays that leave food to spoil

Perishable shipments can lose valuable shelf life as they wait for inspections and confirmation that they meet trading requirements. Nuclear and isotopic techniques help verify food authenticity, detect adulteration and check labelling, supporting faster, trusted certification and reducing spoilage in transit. These efforts sit alongside the FAO and IAEA's broader work against food fraud and harmful contamination, with their Atoms4Food initiative bringing partnerships and nuclear techniques together to improve agricultural productivity, reduce losses and waste, strengthen food security and improve nutrition.