 991248 USDA Finally Approves Rules for Meat IrradiationDecember 17, 1999 Washington - Meatpackers have received long-awaited approval to start irradiating beef, pork and lamb to kill deadly bacteria and other organisms. Whether shoppers will go for ground beef or pork chops that have been zapped remains to be seen. Irradiation “is not the most attractive term. It would have been nicer if it had been called cold pasteurization,” said Tim Willard, a spokesman for the National Food Processors Association. It is the only known method to eliminate deadly E. coli O157:H7 bacteria in raw meat. The technique also can significantly reduce levels of other pathogens, including listeria, salmonella and campylobacter, according to USDA. Initially, irradiated meat is likely to be most popular with hospitals and nursing homes, because of the danger E. coli poses to patients with weakened immune systems, said Carol Tucker Foreman, a distinguished fellow with the Consumer Federation of America. “I don't expect you're going to get it for sale at McDonald's any time soon. It takes a while to build the facilities,” she said. Irradiation has been approved for poultry since 1992 and is under consideration for hot dogs, lunch meats and other ready-to-eat products. “While there is no single silver bullet to cure all food safety problems, irradiation has been shown to be both safe and effective,” Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said Tuesday in giving the final OK to the program. Labels on irradiated products will have to carry the international symbol of irradiation, known as a “radura,” and a statement that they were treated. The symbol, colored green on a white background, depicts two leaves resting in a semicircle, with a green dot above it beneath a broken-lined semicircle. Sausage that contains irradiated meat would also have to be labeled. Several companies, including ConAgra Inc (NYSE:CAG - news)., one of the nation's biggest meatpackers, have said they plan to use irradiation. But processors say the government needs to undertake a public education campaign to convince consumers that irradiation is safe. “Ultimately, consumers' purchase behavior will drive the availability of this product,” said J. Patrick Boyle, president of the American Meat Institute. “If consumers embrace the product, the industry is in the business of meeting consumer demand and we will respond with more irradiated products.” Irradiation had to be approved by both USDA, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of meat, and the Food and Drug Administration, which has authority over food additives. The FDA approved irradiation for red meat in 1997. USDA has waived its authority over ready-to-eat products in order to expedite the approval process for them. Irradiation is seldom used for poultry, but E. coli is considered a far bigger problem with beef. Consumer groups wanted USDA to set a minimum radiation level that meat had to receive, but the agency decided to leave it up to processors. The necessary dosage could vary depending what else the processors do to treat the meat, USDA officials said. E. coli O157 can cause serious illness and sometimes death, especially in children and the elderly. An estimated 73,480 people a year are infected, and about 600 of those cases are fatal, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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