The National Cattlemen's Beef Association and National Food Processors Association strongly support irradiation for meat products.  NCBA also encouraged USDA and the Food and Drug Administration to develop standards for the irradiation of ready-to-eat meat products.

Renewed support for irradiation came from both organizations in comments to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service's proposed rule.  NCBA encouraged the use of irradiation technology to extend shelf life and kill pathogens in meat products.  NCBA also said that although the technology can make meat products safer for consumers, marketing remains critical to ensuring that consumers not gain a "false sense of security and begin ignoring safe food handling practices."

Lynn Kosty, associate director of food policy for NCBA, said the meat industry must to "everything it can to inform consumers that this technology is not bulletproof against food borne pathogens.  Once an irradiated package of meat is opened...it is once again susceptible to contamination caused by poor food handling practices."

NCBA also supports the use of a "radura sign" appearing along with a statement such as "treated by ionizing-pasteurization" or "treated by electron-pasteurization" on the package labels of irradiated products.

Lloyd Hontz, NFPA director of food inspection services, said the proposed rule "is not only appropriate but is long overdue."  NFPA is "troubled by the four-year delay in the government's approval," he added.  The food additive petition that led to the proposed rulemaking was announced by the FDA Aug. 25, 1994.

"It is unfortunate that the limited scope of products covered by the FDA final rule and the FSIS proposal leaves this proven technology unavailable for use on a number of processed food products that could benefit from this food safety tool," Hontz said.