Colorado State University Extension
SafeFood Rapid Response Network


SAFEFOOD NEWS - Winter 1998 - Vol 2 / No. 2

Go to Table of Contents for this issue

Red Meat Irradiation

December 3, 1997, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the final rule on red meat irradiation. The rule states that 4.5 KiloGray (KGy) is the maximum permitted dose for irradiation on refrigerated, uncooked meat products and 7.0 KGy for frozen, uncooked meat products.

Depending on the dose of radiation applied, foods may be pasteurized (to reduce or eliminate pathogens) or sterilized (to eliminate all microorganisms, excluding some viruses). For example, a dose of 10-50 KGy will sterilize foods such as those used for astronauts during space flight and for hospitalized patients who must have bacteria-free food.

FDA considered four broad areas to establish the safety of proposed applications of radiation. These areas included radiological safety, toxicological safety, microbiological safety, and nutritional adequacy. Extension agents may have already received questions related to these four areas.

Radiological Safety. The currently approved radiation is too low to induce radioactivity.

Toxicological Safety. The World Health Organization (WHO) 1994 review of the safety of irradiated foods concluded that food irradiation will not lead to toxicological changes in the composition of food that would have an adverse effect on human health.

Microbiological Safety. The FDA does not consider radiation-induced mutation a concern with respect to increased virulence or heat resistance since there is no evidence for such effects.

Nutritional Adequacy. Does irradiation result in a significant loss of any nutrient in the food under the proposed conditions of use? Note that other food processes, such as cooking, will alter nutrient content much more than irradiation. Trace elements and minerals are not affected by irradiation. Macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) are not significantly affected by doses up to 10KGy. Some vitamins however, are sensitive to radiation. In FDA's evaluation, thiamine levels received particular attention because thiamine is one of the vitamins most susceptible to radiation. Even when the agency conducted an "extreme case" assessment of the potential effect on the dietary intake of thiamine that would result if all flesh foods were irradiated under conditions that would tend to maximize thiamine loss, the average thiamine intake would still be above the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA). The FDA concluded that irradiation of meat under the condition proposed will not have an adverse impact on the nutritional adequacy of a person's diet.

Even though FDA has approved the use of irradiation for red meats, consumer acceptance will determine the extent of the meat industry's acceptance and willingness to implement its use.

Irradiation at the doses approved will reduce, but not eliminate microorganisms in or on red meat. Although irradiation can be a useful tool for helping reduce risk of foodborne illness, it is a complement to, and not a replacement for, proper food-handling practices by producers, processors, and consumers.

Sources: IFT Status Summary, Irradiation of Food, Vol. 52, No. 1, January 1998; Food Safety Notebook, FDA Endorsement Cannot Erase Irradiation's Poor Image, Vol. 9, No. 1, January 1998.

Updated Monday, August 29, 2011