Technical Abstract: Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of plague. While rare, pharyngeal plague in humans has been associated with consumption or handling of meat prepared from infected animals. The risks of contracting plague from consumption of deliberately contaminated meat are currently unknown. Gamma radiation is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation while Ultraviolet C (UVC) Radiation is used for decontamination of liquids or food surfaces. Gamma radiation D-10 values, the radiation dose needed to inactivate 1 log of pathogen, were 0.23(0.01) and 0.31(0.03) kGy for avirulent Y. pestis inoculated into Butterfield's Phosphate Buffer or onto frankfurter surfaces, respectively, at a temperature of 4C. A UVC radiation dose of 0.25 J/cm2 completely inactivated avirulent Y. pestis suspended in Butterfield's Phosphate Buffer. UVC radiation doses of 0.5 - 4.0 J/cm2 inactivated 0.97 - 1.20 log of the Y. pestis surface-inoculated onto frankfurters. Y. pestis can easily be inactivated in aqueous solution by both gamma and UVC irradiation. A low gamma radiation dose of 1.6 kGy could provide a 5 log reduction, while a UVC radiation dose of 1-4 J/cm2 would provide a 1 log reduction, of Y. pestis surface-inoculated onto frankfurters.