WASHINGTON - The U.S.
Department of Agriculture will
permit low-dose irradiation of
fresh pork to control trichina if
products are properly labeled, a
USDA official said.
“Only a small amount of the
nation's fresh pork is likely to be
irradiated in the near future,” said
Donald L. Houston, administrator
of USPA’s Food Safety and In
spection Service. “One company
has applied for approval and has
received technical assistance, but
has not yet satisfied the full range
of USDA inspection requirements.
“Irradiation does not make food
radioactive,” said Houston.
“Irradiation at a federally in
spected plant, within the approved
dose range, would sterilize any
trichinae that might be present,
preventing them from reproducing
inside the human body to cause
trichinosis even if they survived
cooking.
Houston cautioned that the
approved radiation dose is not
strong enough to inactivate
Jersey Cattle Club
reports record year
COLUMBUS, OH - The
American Jersey Cattle Club
(AJCC) and its marketing arm,
National All-Jersey Inc., (NAJ),
recorded all-time high par
ticipation in nearly all breed
programs in 1985, according to
AJCC-NAJ Executive Secretary
Maurice E. Core.
Core reports 70,042 applications
for registration were received in
1985, the most for any year since
1966. There were 65,357
registrations actually recorded,
the most since 1958.
There were 24,387 registration
transfer applications received by
the AJCC in 1985, again the most
for any year since 1966.
There were 756 Jersey herds
representing 48,260 cows enrolled
in the Total Performance
Evaluation (TPE) and Dairy Herd
Improvement Registry (DHIE)
programs in 1985, the most herds
and cows enrolled in these per
formance programs in the 117 year
history of the AJCC.
Another encouraging new
program has been the sale of
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USDA okays pork irradiation for control of trichina
common bacteria that may be
present on fresh pork and in the
home environment. Therefore,
careful handling-using clean
hands and utensils-and thorough
cooking will still be necessary to
prevent foodbome illness other
than trichinosis.
“USDA believes that consumers
should be fully informed when food
has been irradiated,” Houston
said. “Therefore, USDA plans to
require appropriate labeling on
irradiated fresh pork and on meat
and poultry products that contain
irradiated pork.”
Labels will be reviewed on a
case-by-case basis, according to
Houston. USDA plans to approve
labeling terms such as
“irradiated” or “treated with
ionizing radiation,” he said. USDA
also may allow an irradiation logo
to supplement required labeling
statements.
Although food irradiation is
technically a process, it is legally a
food additive, explained Houston.
Thus, its use on fresh pork had to
be approved by first and the Food
Jersey Pride Cheese through NAJ.
Sales in 1985 reached 155,000 lbs., a
55% increase over 1984, which was
the first full year for the program.
Core credits several factors for
this high level of Jersey activity.
Foremost is the ever-increasing
number of milk markets
recognizing the value of high solids
milk, giving Jersey breeders extra
income during these difficult times
in the dairy business.
Also, Jersey breeders have long
taken an active part in the
marketing of their product,
through programs like All-Jersey
Milk and Jersey Pride Cheese.
These efforts are now paying
dividends.
The Genetic Recovery Program,
which began in 1975, allows for the
identification of the unregistered,
purebred Jerseys and the eventual
registration of their offspring by
Registered Jersey bulls. Core
credits this program with ex
panding the base of Registered
Jerseys in this country and in
creasing the numbers of breeders
who participate in other programs.
and Drug Administration and then
by USDA.
“Some consumers have been
expressed concern about the
chemical safety of irradiated
foods,” Houston said. “In July
1985, FDA approved 0.3 to 1.0
kilo Gray-30 to 100 kilorads-of
gamma irradiation to control the
trichina parasite. At that time,
FDA reiterated that at doses of 100
krad and below, the difference
between an irradiated food and a
comparable non-irradiated food is
so small as to make the foods in
distinguishable with respect to
safety. This action enabled USDA
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to consider the issue. USDA agrees
with FDA findings.”
The new regulation responds to
an industry petition. It allows low
dose irradiation of fresh pork
carcasses and cuts, such as pork
roasts and pork chops. It does not
allow irradiation of processed
products since these products were
not considered by FDA in its ap
proval of irradiation as a food
additive. At this time it cannot be
used as an alternate to curing,
canning, or commercial freezing of
fresh pork for trichina destruction,
although USDA intends to consider
such use in the future.
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USDA-approved quality control
programs will be required to
assure that fresh pork receives the
proper dose of gamma irradiation
and is not re-irradiated.
Comments on the final
regulation should be identified as
responses to Docket 85-016 F and
sent, in duplicate, within 60 days to
FSIS Hearing Clerk, USDA, Room
3803-S, Washington, D.C. 20250.
The regulation has been
published in the Jan. 15 Federal
Register. Background materials
are available from USDA, FSIS
Information Office, Room 1160-S,
Washington, D.C. 20250.
5