Meat Industry INSIGHTS Newsletter

980836 NFPA President Urges USDA Secretary to Rule on Irradiation

August 13, 1998

Washington - In a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman, the President and CEO of the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) urged that USDA issue a rule permitting the use of food irradiation on red meat.

Four years have passed since the federal government was petitioned to allow the use of irradiation on red meat, accordng to NFPA President and CEO John Cady. "On December 3, 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of irradiation to treat refrigerated or frozen uncooked red meat, to control foodborne pathogens and extend product shelf life. Once again, irradiation was affirmed as a safe process with strong consumer benefits, particularly regarding the safety of foods."

Cady stated that irradiation is a proven technology for enhancing the safety of our food supply. He added that this is a position held by scientific organizations ranging from the American Medical Association to the World Health Organization. More than 35 countries have approved irradiation as a safe food treatment technology.

Cady noted that "The food industry is concerned that more than eight months have passed since FDA approved red meat irradiation. At the time of FDA's approval, USDA indicated that the Department intended to act quickly to issue a rule. Given the fact that USDA already has rules in place for the use of irradiation to treat chicken and pork, developing a rule on red meat irradiation should not pose exceptional challenges to the Department."

In the letter, Cady pointed out that August, 1998 marks the one-year anniversary of the Hudson Foods incident, where more than 25 million pounds of hamburger meat was recalled because of possible E. coli 0157H:7 contamination. "This incident - which sparked public debate over the safety of the food supply, and which ultimately forced the company out of business - could have been avoided had irradiation been available for use on red meat," Cady added.

Cady stated that "NFPA believes consumer interest in food safety has finally made inroads after years of unfounded concerns about the food irradiation process. This enhanced public interest in irradiation as a food safety tool makes prompt Department action to allow the use of irradiation on red meat even move critical. Additionally, NFPA has not yet received a response to its February 9, 1998 petition to FSIS requesting that USDA's rulemaking solicit public comment on irradiation labeling issues, in order to enhance consumer acceptance of irradiation.

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