This electronic document was downloaded from the GPO web site, November 1999, and is provided for information purposes only. The Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, is updated each year in early summer. The most current version of the regulations may be found at the GPO web site or from the current printed version.

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 3, Parts 170 to 199]
[Revised as of April 1, 1999]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR179.26]
 
[Page 419-421]
 
                        TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
 
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN
                          SERVICES (CONTINUED)
 
PART 179--IRRADIATION IN THE PRODUCTION, PROCESSING AND HANDLING OF FOOD--

Table of Contents
 
               Subpart B--Radiation and Radiation Sources
 
Sec. 179.26  Ionizing radiation for the treatment of food.
 
    Ionizing radiation for treatment of foods may be safely used under
the following conditions:
    (a) Energy sources. Ionizing radiation is limited to:
    (1) Gamma rays from sealed units of the radionuclides cobalt-60 or
cesium-137.
    (2) Electrons generated from machine sources at energies not to
exceed 10 million electron volts.
    (3) X-rays generated from machine sources at energies not to exceed
5 million electron volts.
    (b) Limitations.
 
[[Page 420]]
 
 
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Use                              Limitations
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. For control of Trichinella spiralis in   Minimum dose 0.3 kiloGray
 pork carcasses or fresh, non-heat-          (kGy) (30 kilorad (krad));
 processed cuts of pork carcasses.           maximum dose not to exceed
                                             1 kGy (100 krad).
2. For growth and maturation inhibition of  Not to exceed 1 kGy (100
 fresh foods.                                krad).
3. For disinfestation of arthropod pests      Do.
 in food.
4. For microbial disinfection of dry or     Not to exceed 10 kGy (1
 dehydrated enzyme preparations (including   megarad (Mrad)).
 immobilized enzymes).
5. For microbial disinfection of the        Not to exceed 30 kGy (3
 following dry or dehydrated aromatic        Mrad).
 vegetable substances when used as
 ingredients in small amounts solely for
 flavoring or aroma: culinary herbs,
 seeds, spices, vegetable seasonings that
 are used to impart flavor but that are
 not either represented as, or appear to
 be, a vegetable that is eaten for its own
 sake, and blends of these aromatic
 vegetable substances. Turmeric and
 paprika may also be irradiated when they
 are to be used as color additives. The
 blends may contain sodium chloride and
 minor amounts of dry food ingredients
 ordinarily used in such blends.
6. For control of food-borne pathogens in   Not to exceed 3 kGy (300
 fresh or frozen, uncooked poultry           krad); any packaging used
 products that are: (1) Whole carcasses or   shall not exclude oxygen.
 disjointed portions of such carcasses
 that are ``ready-to-cook poultry'' within
 the meaning of 9 CFR 381.1(b)(44), or (2)
 mechanically separated poultry product (a
 finely comminuted ingredient produced by
 the mechanical deboning of poultry
 carcasses or parts of carcasses).
7. For the sterilization of frozen,         Minimum dose 44 kGy (4.4
 packaged meats used solely in the           Mrad). Packaging materials
 National Aeronautics and Space              used need not comply with
 Administration space flight programs.       Sec.  179.25(c) provided
                                             that their use is otherwise
                                             permitted by applicable
                                             regulations in parts 174
                                             through 186 of this
                                             chapter.
8. For control of foodborne pathogens in,    Not to exceed 4.5 kGy
 and extension of the shelf-life of,         maximum for refrigerated
 refrigerated or frozen, uncooked products   products; not to exceed 7.0
 that are meat within the meaning of 9 CFR   kGy maximum for frozen
 301.2(rr), meat byproducts within the       products.
 meaning of 9 CFR 301.2(tt), or meat food
 products within the meaning of 9 CFR
 301.2(uu), with or without nonfluid
 seasoning, that are otherwise composed
 solely of intact or ground meat, meat
 byproducts, or both meat and meat
 byproducts..
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
    (c) Labeling. (1) The label and labeling of retail packages of foods
irradiated in conformance with paragraph (b) of this section shall bear
the following logo along with either the statement
 
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TR01FE93.000
 
 
[[Page 421]]
 
 
    ``Treated with radiation'' or the statement ``Treated by
irradiation'' in addition to information required by other regulations.
The logo shall be placed prominently and conspicuously in conjunction
with the required statement. The radiation disclosure statement is not
required to be more prominent than the declaration of ingredients
required under Sec. 101.4 of this chapter. As used in this provision,
the term ``radiation disclosure statement'' means the written statement
that discloses that a food has been intentionally subject to
irradiation.
    (2) For irradiated foods not in package form, the required logo and
phrase ``Treated with radiation'' or ``Treated by irradiation'' shall be
displayed to the purchaser with either (i) the labeling of the bulk
container plainly in view or (ii) a counter sign, card, or other
appropriate device bearing the information that the product has been
treated with radiation. As an alternative, each item of food may be
individually labeled. In either case, the information must be
prominently and conspicuously displayed to purchasers. The labeling
requirement applies only to a food that has been irradiated, not to a
food that merely contains an irradiated ingredient but that has not
itself been irradiated.
    (3) For a food, any portion of which is irradiated in conformance
with paragraph (b) of this section, the label and labeling and invoices
or bills of lading shall bear either the statement ``Treated with
radiation--do not irradiate again'' or the statement ``Treated by
irradiation--do not irradiate again'' when shipped to a food
manufacturer or processor for further processing, labeling, or packing.
 
[51 FR 13399, Apr. 18, 1986, as amended at 53 FR 12757, Apr. 18, 1988;
53 FR 53209, Dec. 30, 1988; 54 FR 32335, Aug. 7, 1989; 55 FR 14415, Apr.
18, 1990; 55 FR 18544, May 2, 1990; 60 FR 12670, Mar. 8, 1995; 62 FR
64121, Dec. 3, 1997; 63 FR 43876, Aug. 17, 1998]
 

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