Re: Regarding Proposed Rule on food irradiation

[Mike Grissom <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>]

Radsafe'ers,

Since John's system seems to be having problems, the
following is an extract of the US Federal Register
Proposed Rule by the US Department of Agriculture:

----------
Federal Register: February 24, 1999 (Volume 64,
 Number 36)
Proposed Rules
Page 9089-9105
...
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains
notices to the public of the proposed issuance of rules
and regulations. The purpose of these notices is to
give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

            DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

            Food Safety and Inspection Service

               9 CFR Parts 317, 318, and 381
                     [Docket No. 97-076P]
                         RIN 0583-AC50

           Irradiation of Meat and Meat Products

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service
(FSIS) is proposing to amend the meat inspection
regulations to permit the use of ionizing radiation for
treating refrigerated or frozen uncooked meat, meat
byproducts, and certain other meat food products to
reduce levels of food borne pathogens and to extend
shelf-life. FSIS is proposing this action in light of the
Food and Drug Administration's recent final rule which
amended its food additive regulations to provide for the
safe use of ionizing irradiation sources to treat these
same meat food products.

FSIS also is proposing to revise the regulations governing
the irradiation of poultry so that they will be as consistent
as possible with the proposed regulations for the
irradiation of meat food products.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before
April 26, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Submit one original and two copies of
written comments to FSIS Docket #97-076P, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12 St., SW,
Washington, DC 20250-3700. All comments submitted
in response to this proposed rule will be available for
public inspection in the Docket Clerk's Office between
8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel L.
Engeljohn, Ph.D., Director, Regulation Development and
Analysis Division, Office of Policy, Program Development,
and Evaluation, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (202) 720-5627.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to high
levels of radiant energy. Forms of radiant energy include:
microwave and infrared radiation that heat food during
cooking; visible light or ultraviolet light used to dry food or
kill surface microorganisms; and ionizing radiation,
resulting from cobalt-60, cesium-137, x-ray machines, or
electron accelerators, that penetrates deeply into food,
killing insect pests and microorganisms without raising
the temperature of the food significantly. Food is most
often irradiated commercially to extend shelf-life, eliminate
insect pests, or reduce numbers of pathogenic
microorganisms. Food irradiation for these purposes is
practiced in many countries, including the United States.
[...snip, much more follows in this very long document]

----------
Most US Federal Register documents can be readily
found using the GPO Web site at URL:

http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aces140.html


----------
At 08:28 AM 2/24/99 -0600, you wrote:
>There were two problems with my first posting.
>
>1.  The entire URL must be listed.  For some reason, there was a return 
>imposed.
>Use the address listed between the quotes. 
>
>
>The full text of this proposed rule can be found at...


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