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OTTAWA, Ontario–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 4, 2013 — Nordion, a leading supplier of Cobalt-60 and a global leader in the design and construction of commercial gamma irradiation systems, today joins the International Irradiation Association (iiA) and other industry leaders at the 2013 International Meeting on Radiation Processing (IMRP) in Shanghai, China. Nordion’s team will deliver five scientific presentations with a focus on educating attendees on the latest developments in gamma technology and highlighting key features for customers including gamma’s reliability, flexibility, efficiency and affordability.

For 50 years, gamma irradiation has been a solution to providing safe and effective products to the global markets—from healthcare to consumer goods to food. In an increasingly complex world and in keeping with the 2013 IMRP theme, “Irradiation for Life: Safe, Green and Growing,” Nordion is striving to build greater awareness on how the science of gamma irradiation is evolving to solve today’s unique product challenges.

“Gamma irradiation is well understood, well controlled and is a validated process,” said Scott McIntosh, Chief Operating Officer of Nordion’s Specialty Isotopes business unit and board member of the International Irradiation Association. “Gamma processing positively impacts the lives of millions of people around the world. As a leader in this industry, Nordion is investing in applied research and developing expertise, both of which are intended to continue to open global market opportunities for gamma irradiation.”

Nordion’s Gamma Centre for Excellence (GCE) has become an industry recognized applied research and training facility, furthering the science of gamma processing. Some of the work done by Nordion and its partnering organizations will be highlighted at IMRP, such as research into gamma irradiation of pharmaceuticals, dosimetry and dose setting in medical device sterilization. In addition, Nordion will highlight DuPont’s Tyvek® Medical Packaging Transition Project as one of the industry collaboration projects and success stories. Also featured is the collaborative work done by Nordion and Food Technology Service Industry (FTSI), a sterilization service provider, for developing a method to upgrade FTSI’s irradiator with minimum downtime, thereby minimizing impact on customers.

“The partnership between Nordion and FTSI teams resulted in a very effective program to upgrade the FTSI irradiator and is the subject of a presentation at IMRP Shanghai,” said Rick Hunter, CEO of Food Technology Service Industry. “Thanks to the cooperation and innovative thinking of the teams, we believe our gamma business will continue to prosper.”

IMRP 2013 is host to more than 200 delegates from around the world in Shanghai, China, taking place from November 4-8. Nordion is proud to be a diamond sponsor at the biennial gathering for members of the iiA. Over four days, Nordion experts will give a series of technical and business presentations and posters related to gamma irradiation. Visit Nordion Booth #33 & 34 or visit www.nordion.com/gamma for details.

Gamma sterilization is commonly used to irradiate a wide range of products and materials, from fruit and spices to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. It works by exposing the product to radiation from a Cobalt-60 source for a predetermined period of time. This kills insect pests and reduces harmful bacteria such as Salmonella and E.coli.

Nordion Inc. (TSX:NDN) (NYSE:NDZ) is a global health science company that provides market-leading products used for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading provider of medical isotopes and sterilization technologies that benefit the lives of millions of people in more than 40 countries around the world. Our products are used daily by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical-device manufacturers, hospitals, clinics and research laboratories. Nordion has approximately 450 highly skilled employees in three locations. Find out more at www.nordion.com and follow us at twitter.com/NordionInc.

Source: Nordion Inc.

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