USDA Approves Irradiation of Meat to Help Improve Food Safety
                                                           
                                        Release No. 0486.99
                                                           
                                Andy Solomon (202) 720-4623
                                      andy.solomon@usda.gov
                            Elizabeth Gaston (202) 720-9113
                                  elizabeth.gaston@usda.gov
  
  USDA APPROVES IRRADIATION OF MEAT TO HELP IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY
  
       WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 1999 Industry will soon be able to irradiate
  raw meat and meat products such as ground beef, steaks, and pork chops
  to reduce significantly or eliminate E. coli O157:H7 and other hazardous
  microorganisms, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced today.
  
       "While there is no single silver bullet to cure all food safety
  problems, irradiation has been shown to be both safe and effective,
  "said Glickman.  "USDA is committed to approving new technologies that
  offer industry additional tools to help produce even safer food."
  
       Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to high levels of
  radiant energy to reduce or eliminate potentially dangerous
  microorganisms on meat and poultry.  The Food and Drug Administration
  (FDA), which approves food additives such as irradiation, determined in
  December 1997 that irradiation of raw meat is safe.
  
       Irradiation is currently the only known method to eliminate deadly
  E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in raw meat.  The technology also significantly
  reduces levels of Listeria, Salmonella, and Campylobacter on raw
  product.  However, consumers need to continue to handle and prepare
  irradiated meat and poultry as they would other raw products because
  some bacteria, especially spoilage organisms, are not destroyed by
  irradiation, and bacteria from other foods can cross-contaminate
  irradiated foods.
  
       Under USDA's plan, which will be published in the Federal Register
  in the next week, and will take effect 60 days after publication,
  radiation will be permitted to treat refrigerated or frozen raw meat and
  meat products.  As with other antimicrobial interventions USDA has
  approved for meat and poultry, irradiated products must still meet all
  other food safety requirements, including sanitation and pathogen
  reduction standards. 
  
       Ensuring consumer choice, USDA is requiring that irradiated meat
  and meat products bear the radura international symbol for irradiation,
  which appears below, and a statement that the product was treated by
  irradiation.  Irradiated meat used in other products such as sausages
  and bologna also must be labeled.  For unpackaged meat products that do
  not have labels, the statement and logo must be displayed at the point
  of sale to consumers.  These labeling requirements do not apply to
  products purchased through foodservice operations, such as restaurants.
       In a related action, USDA is streamlining the approval process for
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  food additives by ending the requirement that food additives be approved
  separately by both FDA and USDA.  Currently, once FDA approves a food
  additive, USDA must conduct separate rulemaking in order for it to be
  approved for use in meat or poultry.  This regulatory reform effort will
  pave the way for the use of irradiation on ready-to-eat products such as
  luncheon meat.  On August 23, 1999, a consortium of industry
  organizations petitioned FDA to approve irradiation for processed meat
  and poultry products.
  
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