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irradiation questions
Hello saneters,
According to a source that quotes the CFR the FDA committee recommended
that foods irradiated at doses below 100,000 rads be considered safe for
human consumption without the requirement of toxicological testing.
US Food and Drug Administration
Final Rule, April 18, 1986
Federal Register (21 CFR Part 179-
Part 179-Part III), 51 (75): 13,377
according to the tables I have typed in below ( remember 1 kiloGray =
100,000 rads) the FDA should thus test all those foods that recieve doses
higher than that.
Since irradiation is a food additive, the 100 fold concentration rule for
testing would normally apply to its safety testing, but this is not done
for irradiated food. I have read that it is impratical to concentrate
radiolytic products in foods for testing. Is this so and why?
Another sources say the FDA has set the safety limit for radiolytic
products at 3 ppm.
Also, has the FDA ammended the CFR citation in anyway since
then?
Product Purpose of irradiation Dose permitted date of rule
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wheat disinfest insects 0.2-0.5 August 21, 1963
wheat powder
potatoes extend shelf life 0.05 November 1, 1965
-0.15
Spices Decontamination 30 max July 15, 1983
disinfest insects
Dry, dehydrated control insect, 10 max June 10, 1985
enzyme preparations microorganisms
Pork carcasses fresh control Trichinella 0.3 July 22, 1985
noncut processed cuts - 1.0
Fresh fruits Delay maturation 1 April 18, 1986
Dry or dehydrated Decontamination 10 April 18, 1986
enzyme preparations
Dry or dehydrated Decontamination 30 April18, 1986
aromatic vegetable
Poultry Control illness 3 May 2, 1990
-causing microbes
Teige Davidson
Tufts University