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June 2012
iiA Newsletter
 
Dear Reader
 
This is the Newsletter of the International Irradiation Association. For more information about the Association visit our web site at www.iiaglobal.org.

Member Focus

 

The Association has members with a variety of Skills. When it comes to the procurement of a Gamma plant, EB or X-Ray machine our members can help.

 

Gamma plants

  • Nordion - Canada (iiA Member)
  • Hungaroster - Hungary (iiA Member)
  • SQHL - China (iiA Member) 
  • Symec - India (iiA Member) 
  • Greystar - America (iiA Affiliate Member) 
Eb and X Ray facilities
  • IBA - Belgium (iiA Member)
  • Dasheng China (iiA Member)
  • Mevex - Canada (iiA Member)
  • Wuxi ElPont (iiA Member)

For more information on these members go to our website www.iiaglobal.org.

In This Issue
Member Focus
Sterilisation Standards
Cobalt Transport
New Irradiation Facilities
Food and Phytosanitary
Website and Member Survey
Journal of Physics and Chemistry
IMRP 17 (Shanghai)
Key Diary Dates
Contact Us
IMRP Shanghai   

Visit the updated iiA website

Sterilisation Standards Update

  • Paris, France: ISO TC 198 and CEN TC 204 meetings in Paris - April 2012. April 16-20 saw the 20th meeting of ISO TC 198 hosted by AFNOR, the French national standards organisation. Alongside and in parallel with this meeting a meeting of CEN TC 204 also took place. Specific to radiation sterilisation activities ISO TC 198 WG 2, radiation sterilisation - met during the week and reviewed progress with the revisions and amendments to the various parts of ISO 11137 and progress with the development of TS 13004. More details of the changes to ISO 11137 and on the technical aspects of the work programme for this Working Group together with relevant aspects of the other Working Group programmes can be found in the Members Area of the iiA website.
  • Washington, USA: AAMI/ST/WG90 - May 2012. Following discussions in Paris WG 90 agreed to form its own Study Group to determine how best to move forward on the question of sterility assurance levels and the definitions of sterility as embodied in various national and international standards.

Cobalt Transportation Update

 

The issues surrounding the transport of Cobalt are both important and topical. 

 

iiA have prepared on update on the recent Illicit Trafficking Document proposals, the work of the IAEA International Steering Committee on Denial of Shipment of Radioactive Material and the establishment of a Radioactive Sources Working Group. The update is available on the safety and security page in the Members Area of the iia website. 

 

The Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Peoples Republic of China approved the cobalt -60 transport flasks of our members Nordion (F-168-X) and Reviss (R 7006 and R 7008). Our other member SQHL assisted Nordion and Reviss in obtaining these approvals.

New Irradiation Facilities  

  • Nordion (iiA Platinum Member) have launched the Gamma Centre of Excellence (GCE). Formerly known as the Canadian Irradiation Centre GCE will focus on applied research, development and training.
  • Graystar (iiA Affiliate Member) will soon complete the installation of new gamma facilities in Gulfport  Mississippi and Hawaii. The plants are designed for the processing of food.  
  • The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), with financial assistance from the IAEA, are understood to have purchased an electron accelerator. The machine (2.5 MeV - 140 Kw) will be used for R&D and to undertake medical product sterilisation and wire and cable and polymer processing. 

Food and Phytosanitary Update

 

iiA's Asia Pacific Manager, Yves Henon, spoke at three recent events at the request of Korean Society of Radiation and Isotopes (KAERI). 

 

  • The 24 May meeting on Jeongjup focused on food irradiation for participants to the World Nuclear University and the Korean Society of Radiation and Isotopes. Guests speakers also included Ron Eustice of the Minnesota Beef Council and Pr Mohammed Al-Sheikly of the University of Maryland.  
  • On 29 May in Daejon the conference addressed the use of Irradiation as a Phytosanitary Measure. Speakers included Zhan Guopin from the Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine along with Scott Saxe, APHIS Attache at the US Embassy in Seoul.  
  • 31 May Changwon. The 5th Shelf Life International Meeting, organised by the Italian Scientific Group of Food Packaging and the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition.     

The Food Standards Australia New Zealand agency (FSANZ) is believed to be considering changes to the Australian New Zealand Food Standards Code that would allow the irradiation of tomatoes and fresh capsicum for quarantine purposes. Further details and historic processing data relating to Australian Fruit Irradiated for quarantine purposes for export to New Zealand, which has been growing over recent years, can be found in the Members Area of the iiA website. In Mexico the first loads of new season Mangos are being processed.

iiA Website and Member Survey - Update

 

The program of web updates has begun. We would encourage members and non members to visit our website at www.iiaglobal.org. Members of the Association are able to access additional information which is contained in the Members Area of the site. 

 

A summary of the results of the recent members survey is available on the iiA Business page in the Members Area of the website.

 

Publication of The Journal of Radiation Physics and Chemistry

 

Volume 81 number 8 of the Journal of Radiation Physics and Chemistry (The International Meeting on Radiation Processing Montreal 13-16 June 2011 edited by Eamon Hoxey and Arne Miller) became available electronically on Friday 8 June 2012. iiA expects access details to be made available to participants of IMRP Montreal within the next few days.

 

IMRP 17 (Shanghai)

 

Most of the appointments to the Program Committee have now been made. The members of the Committee are:

  • Byron Lambert (Abbot Vascular) Chairman
  • Prof Wang (SQHL) Vice-Chairman
  • Chris Johnson (Steris) - Strand Leader Healthcare
  • Vikram Kalia (Microtrol) - Strand Leader Food
  • Hung Wei Ming (IBA) - Strand Leader Technology
  • Josef Mittendorfer (High Tech Consulting) Strand Leader Advance Materials 
  • Arne Miller (Riso) Strand Leader Posters
  • TBA* - Strand Leader Student Session
  • Eric Beers (Nordion) 
  • Cathie Deeley (Reviss)
  • Rick Hunter (FTSI) 
  • Paul Minbiole (E-Beam Services)

    * TBA - To be advised

Key Diary Dates

  1. ASTM 7th International Workshop on Dosimetry for Radiation Processing, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, San Diego, CA USA 24-28 June 2012
  2. MD & M Brazil, San Paulo, Brazil, 26-27 June 2012
  3. Drug/Device Combination and Borderline Products, Ely UK, 28 June 2012
  4. The Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC) Standards Committee Meeting, Bangkok, Thailand, 30 July - 3 August 2012
  5. Medical Fair, Suntec, Singapore, 12-14 September 2012
  6. Irap 2012. International Symposium on Ionizing Radiation and Polymers, Krakow, Poland 14-19 October 2012
  7. International Forum and Exhibition on Nuclear Technology Applications, Chengdu, China, 10-13 November 2012

If you know of additional events that we should be highlighting please let one of the iiA team know.

Contact Us

 

The iiA team now consists of Paul Wynne , Director and General Manager, Yves Henon, Manager Asia Pacific and  John Woolston, Manager Europe Middle East and Africa.

 

The iiA board: John Masefield (Executive Advisor Steris), Neil Bennett (Reviss), Arnold Herer, Eamonn Hoxey (Johnson & Johnson), Byron Lambert (Abbot Vascular), Scott Mcintosh (Nordion), Dave Meyer (Sterigenics), Richard Steeves (Synergy).

 

Paul Wynne
iiA