P97-41 FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Arthur Whitmore: 202-205-4177
Dec. 2, 1997
Consumer Inquires: 800-532-4440
FDA APPROVES IRRADIATION OF MEAT FOR PATHOGEN CONTROL
The Food and Drug Administration today approved irradiation
of meat products for controlling disease-causing micro-organisms.
The approval applies to fresh and frozen red meats such as beef,
lamb and pork.
"Irradiation of meat could prove to be another important
tool to protect consumers from food-borne disease," said Michael
A. Friedman, M.D., Lead Deputy FDA Commissioner. "The process
has been shown to be safe and to significantly reduce bacterial
contamination."
This approval is based on FDA's thorough scientific review
of a substantial number of studies conducted worldwide on the
effects of irradiation on a wide variety of meat products. The
studies included examination of the chemical effects of
radiation, impact on nutrient content of irradiated products,
potential toxicity concerns, and effects on microorganisms in or
on irradiated products. FDA concluded that irradiation is safe
in reducing disease-causing microbes in or on meats, and that it
does not compromise the nutritional quality of treated products.
FDA has previously approved irradiation of poultry to
control pathogens, of pork for control of the trichina parasite,
of foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains to control
insects, and of spices, seasonings, and dry enzymes used in food
processing to control microorganisms.
Food products are treated by subjecting them to radiation
from radioactive or machine sources, which kills significant
numbers of insects, pathogenic bacteria and parasites.
Irradiation does not make food radioactive, nor does it
noticeably change taste, texture, or appearance.
Irradiation of food products to control food-borne disease
in humans has been generally endorsed by the United Nation's
World Health Organization and the American Medical Association.
Disease-causing microorganisms that can be controlled by
irradiation include Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella
species.
FDA's approval is the latest action by the Clinton
Administration to take positive steps to reduce the number of
consumers suffering from food-borne pathogens. Other steps
include the implementation of mandatory Hazard Analysis and
Critical Control Point (HACCP) safety programs at seafood, meat,
poultry processing plants; expansion of the nation's network of
surveillance sites for food-borne disease; funding additional
research on food-borne disease control and detection; increasing
the number of inspectors and inspections of domestic and imported
produce; and implementing industry and consumer education
programs on reducing food-borne illness risks.
Irradiation, although a potentially useful tool for helping
reduce risk of food-borne disease, is a complement to, not a
replacement for, proper food-handling practices by producers,
processors, and consumers.
This approval is in response to a petition filed in August
1994 by Isomedix Inc. of Whippany, N.J.
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This is a mirror of the page at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/NEW00603.html
Federal Register Final Rule: December 3, 1997 Irradiation in the Production, Processing and Handling of Food (Meat)
Federal Register Final Rule: December 3, 1997 Irradiation in the Production, Processing and Handling of Food (Poultry)