William R. Henning

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Irradiation for Reducing Pathogens inMeat and
Poultry
William R. Henning
Extension Meat Scientist
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Use of Ionizing Radiation for Reducing Pathogens
inMeat and Poultry

• NEW FRONTIERS FOR
• FOOD SAFTEY

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What we hope to show you

• Science of the technology
• Current uses of Irradiation
• Plants in operation
• Why it is used
• Safety and efficacy
• How it affects pathogens
• What consumers think
• How it tastes

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Why get involved?

• Irradiated ground beef is coming to a city near
  you, SOON
• Consumer activists will likely oppose it
• Fore-warned is fore-armed
• Educate consumers before it is on the market
• Dont want another GMO debate

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What is the Role of an Extension Educator?

• Educator
• or
• Advocate

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What is Food Irradiation?

• Provide energy which destroys DNA in bacteria,
  parasites, insects, molds
• SOURCE
• Gamma Rays from radioactive material
• Cobalt 60
• Cesium 137
• Accelerated electron beams
• X-Rays

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Ionizing Radiation
When radiation strikes other material, it
transfers energy this can cause HEATING, as with
microwave cooking or, if there is enough energy,
it can knock electrons out of of the material
bombarded, breaking the molecular structure -
thus leaving ions (free radicals) hence the name
- Ionizing Radiation --
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Terms to describe energy level

• Dose - amount of energy transferred
• rad - old unit
• gray (Gy) - new unit
• very large dose 1 million rad 10kGy
• or 1kGy 100,000 rad
• 1 chest X-ray .01 rad
• natural background 0.1 rad/year

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Levels of Food Irradiation

• Radurization (low)
• vegetable sprouting, fruit ripening, insect
  sterilization
• Radicidation (medium) 1-10 kGy
• kills most pathogens and many food spoilage
  organisms, kills insects and parasites
• Rappertization (high) 10kGy
• can sterilize by killing all bacteria and viruses

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History of Use of Radiation

• 1895 - first work with ionizing radiation
• 1921 - first US patent for use of irradiation
• 1930s - US Army commissions MIT to determine if
  irradiation preserves meat
• 1953 - US Army opens Natick Laboratory to be one
  of the Atoms for Peace technology
• 1965 - Office of Surgeon General concludes that
  foods irradiated (
• 1983 - FDA approved irradiation of Spices

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Current Uses of IR

• Medical/Pharmaceutical Products
• Airways and tubes
• Alcohol wipes
• Bandages
• Blood
• Contact Lenses
• Cotton Balls
• Dental anchors, burrs and sponges
• Drug mixing/dispensing systems

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More...

• Enzymes
• Eye droppers and ointments
• Fetal Probes
• Instruments
• IV Administration sets
• Liquid detergents
• Lubrication gels
• OR towels

• Petri dishes
• Prostheses
• Surgical Gloves
• Surgical gowns
• Sutures
• Syringes and needles
• Thermometers/covers
• Tongue Depressors
• Topical Ointments

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Consumer Products ...

• Adhesive bandages
• Animal vaccines
• Baby bottle nipples
• Contact lens cleaning solutions
• Cosmetics
• Dairy and Juice containers

• Disposable nurser bottles
• Food packaging
• Pacifiers and teething rings
• Pet food
• Rawhide dog toys
• Tampons

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Current Food Applications

• Spices, Herbs, Dehydrated Vegetables and
  Seasoning Mixtures
• Strawberries
• Papayas
• Mangos
• Poultry
• Mushrooms

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Spices, Herbs, Dehydrated Vegetables Seasoning
Mixtures Irradiated in N. America
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Why are we interested in Meat Irradiation?

• E. coli and other pathogens
• cant eliminate with multiple hurdles
• HACCP
• intervention strategy
• improved dressing procedures
• close visual inspection
• lactic acid rinse
• hot water
• steam pasteurization

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Current Regulatory Changes

• 1987 - FDA approved irradiation of pork for
  Trichina control (0.3-1.0 kGy)
• 1992 - FDA approved irradiation for fresh or
  frozen packaged poultry to control bacteria
  (1.5-3.0 kGy)
• 1998 - FDA approved use in fresh or frozen beef
  to control pathogens- (1.5 - 4.5 kGy)
• 1999 or early 2000 - USDA final rule for beef...

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Levels approved for meats

• 0.3 - 1.0 kGy for control of Trichina in pork
• up to 3.0 kGy for control of pathogens in fresh
  or frozen packaged poultry
• up to 4.5 kGy for pathogen control in
  uncooked/refrigerated meat
• up to 7.0 kGy for pathogen control in
  uncooked/frozen meat

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Levels approved in other foods

• Wheat 0.2-0.5 kGy (insect disinfestation)
• Potatoes 0.05-0.15 kGy (sprout inhibition)
• Fruit 1 kGy max (ripening delay)
• Vegetables 1 kGy max (disinfestation)
• Spices 30 kGy max (microbial control)
• Animal and Pet food (2-25 kGy) (Salmonella
  control)

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Labeling Requirement
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The Radura must be on the label
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Source vs. Electron Beam

• Source
• costly to build
• source loses power (disposal)
• worker safety and environmental concerns
• better penetration (but slower)
• Electron Beam
• safer for workers and environment
• faster
• more costly to build and operate

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Irradiation Facilities in Use

• 36 countries approved irradiation
• 140 irradiation facilities
• 115 for medical products
• US
• 40 irradiation facilities
• 2 for food treatment
• FOOD TECHnology Service, Plant City, FL
• Titan, Sioux City, IA (to be open soon)

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Titan Plant Commitment

• IBP
• Cargill (Excel)
• Emmpak Foods
• Hawaii Pride
• Huisken Meats

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Bridgeport, NJ
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Dual X-Ray E-Beam System
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Wheeled Conveyor
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Wheeled Conveyor
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Uses and Limitations

• Use on finished, packaged product
• Fresh or frozen
• E-beam penetration 2 ½ - 3 inches
• May have to treat both sides
• Source is slower
• Need to change source in 5 years

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Drawbacks

• Consumer perception
• is food safe to eat
• is the environment safe
• nutrient loss
• off flavor, aroma, color

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CostBenefit

• Costs
• Benefits
• Drawbacks
• Dangers

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Costs

• Not enough being done to get true cost
• estimated cost
• .05 - .10 / lb
• plus cost of transportation
• One retailer was charging a premium of .75/lb

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Public Concerns??

• Will new potentially harmful, chemical compounds
  be created in irradiated foods?
• Would nutrients be lost if foods were irradiated?
• Can unscrupulous processors use irradiation to
  conceal contamination of spoiled foods?
• Will workers or others be exposed to dangerous
  levels of radiation?

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Human Health (potential)

• Unique radiolytic products (URP)
• Cancer
• polyploidy
• Spoiled/decaying food
• Environmental contamination

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Are Consumer Concerns Warranted?
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Sensory and Physical Aspects of Irradiated Muscle
Foods

• Off-odors/off-flavors
• changes relative to dose
• 4-10 kGy - sulfurous odors (wet dog hair)
• pork and chicken - little off odors
• minimized by irradiating at subfreezing temp.
• minimized by irradiating in absence of O2
• reduces peroxides

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Sensory and Physical Aspects of Irradiated Muscle
Foods

• Color changes
• raw and cured meats turn brown
• cooked meat turns pink (converts back after
  exposure to oxygen)
• Dependent on dose

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Reported Vitamin losses from Irradiation
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Will they buy it??

• Strawberries - 1992, over 1000 pints sold in 5
  days in North Miami Beach
• Poultry - 1993, sold out of boneless breasts in
  2 days in Northbrook, IL
• Poultry - has sold irradiated poultry since 1993

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What do Consumers Think?

• Gallop interview
• 54 would buy (after irradiation was explained)
• University of GA
• 45 would buy (if labeled)
• 17 would not
• 38 undecided
• Kansas State (preceded by educational material)
• 75 would buy
• 70 DID buy

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• I hope this has helped you understand more about
  the application of irradiation in meat.
• Thank you
• Questions?

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Consumer education will work

• There is no health risk
• There is no environmental risk
• It will reduce pathogens
• It will not replace other food safety procedures
• Low levels will not affect palatability
• We will produce a safer product

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Wheeled Conveyor
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Tote System
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Roller Conveyor
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Single System X-Ray