Irradiated Red Meat Gets Agriculture OK

Irradiated red meat moved closer to the nation’s supermarkets Friday, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the controversial process for zapping potentially deadly bacteria.

“We need to do all we can to give consumers confidence that we have the safest food supply in the world, which it is,” Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said at a meeting in Charlotte of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn.

The proposed USDA rule would permit--but not require--irradiation for refrigerated or frozen uncooked meat, and some meat products.

The industry welcomed the announcement, saying it will make meat safer.

Anti-nuclear groups oppose the procedure, and some health advocates fear it might lead to a relaxation of other safety practices, such as plant sanitation. Irradiation also remains a hot issue in America’s home kitchens.

“I’ll let someone else try it first before I buy it,” said Annie Miller, as she loaded groceries into her car outside a Charlotte supermarket.

During irradiation, low-level doses of gamma rays or electron beam irradiation are administered to kill bacteria.

Irradiation is the only known method to eliminate a potentially deadly strain of E. coli in raw meat. The technology can also significantly reduce levels of listeria, salmonella and campylobacter bacteria.

Recently, contamination at a meat processing plant in Michigan was linked to 11 deaths, and listeria was the suspected culprit.

The USDA rule on irradiation will be published in the Federal Register within 10 days.

Charles P. Schroeder, head of the Cattlemen’s Beef Assn., said: “It is not often that industry eagerly awaits new government regulations and guidelines, but the use of this technology in the beef industry will benefit both beef producers and consumers,” by producing safer beef.

Brian Sansoni, a spokesman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America, added: “In the simplest of terms, food irradiation will save lives.”

It remains to be seen whether meatpackers will make widespread use of the technique.

“We see irradiation as another potential tool for enhancing food safety. Ultimately, it will be up to the consumer to determine whether it’s an acceptable practice,” said Gary Mickelson, spokesman for meatpacking giant IBP Inc. of Dakota, Neb. “First, we need to see what the rules are. After that, we may test market some ground beef.”

Irradiation has been used for years on limited amounts of produce, spices, poultry and other foods. On their recent shuttle mission, John Glenn and his fellow astronauts ate irradiated food.

Last year, the Food and Drug Administration approved the process for red meat.

None of the major food companies has stepped forward to market irradiated products. Only a few small retailers offer irradiated foods.

“It’s like pasteurization of milk,” said rancher Wallace Schulthes, who raises cattle in Utah. “At one time, people were concerned it would be bad for them. Look at the benefits of that.”