By Omer Bilal ISLAMABAD, March 14 (INP-WealthPK): The Board of Investment (BOI) in collaboration with the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF) and the province’s investment department will establish an e-beam food irradiation plant in Karachi at a cost of Rs565 million. The plant will treat fruits and vegetables before being exported. Initially, six different locations were selected for the plant, in the east, west, south and central Karachi, but later Malir and Korangi were also chosen as the potential sites.       Earlier, it was also recommended that the plant should be established at the agro export processing zone. The BOI also plans to establish an e-beam irradiation plant for surgical instruments in Sindh. A BOI official informed WealthPK that e-beam technology is used for food disinfection in a safe environment. “The technology helps develop safe and hygienic products for both domestic and international markets. The radiation system leveraging e-beam technology mainly comprises an accelerator, a pulse transformer, a modulator cabinet, a control console, chillers and transmission, including cables and hoses.” The BOI official further explained that the plant will work under the Total Quality Management System following all the international codes and ISO guidelines to the satisfaction of both the national and international customers and authorities. Meanwhile, Pakistan Business Council chairman Ehsan Malik told WealthPK that Pakistan has a number of fruit and vegetable varieties, which should be promoted through the use of e-beam technology to safeguard health and safety of human beings and enhance superiority and economic returns. “Such a technology should also be used to treat and preserve other exportable food items to increase their exports.”. Ehsan Malik said surgical instruments, including surgical sutures and catguts, syringes, empty eye drop bottles, masks, sticking plasters, dressings, bottle nipples, artificial joints, packaging, eye ointment, surgical gauze, surgical gloves, gowns, raw material for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics have immense potential to boost exports. “To meet the international quality standards, sterilisation of surgical items through e-beam technology will play an important role in enhancing their exports.” It is to mention here that Pak Electron Beam Irradiation (Pvt) Limited has installed the first electron beam (EB) accelerator plant at North Western Industrial Zone, Port Qasim. The plant has adequate irradiation treatment capacity to cater to the needs of food, pharmaceutical and other industries in Pakistan.