Half-embryo test for identification of irradiated citrus fruit: Collaborative study

A collaborative study on the use of the half-embryo test for the detection of irradiated citrus fruit was undertaken. Collaborative samples of seeds removed from citrus fruit, which were irradiated with doses of 0, 0.2 and 0.5 kGy, were examined by 12 participating laboratories. The percentage of correct identifications, whether irradiated or unirradiated, was 92% of 48 samples after 4 days incubation and 98% after 7 days incubation. Only one sample, irradiated with 0.2 kGy, was incorrectly identified. This collaborative study shows that irradiated citrus fruit can be identified using the half-embryo test and that the test can be applied in practice. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd