Report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) on the application of ionizing radiation for sanitizing fresh meat, meat preparations and meat products

In the EU, food irradiation is regulated by two Directives. Directive 1999/2/EC regulates general and technical aspects for carrying out the process, labeling of irradiated foods and the conditions for authorizing food irradiation and Directive 1999/3/EC provides a positive Community list of foods and food ingredients authorized for treatment with ionizing radiation. So far, this list contains a single food category: dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings, and the authorized maximum absorbed dose is 10 kGy. In Spain, the specific regulation for the treatment of food with ionizing radiation, Royal Decree 348/2001, does not authorize the processing of foodstuffs of animal origin and only allows the treatment of dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings. Nevertheless, taking into account different documents published by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), it can be concluded that meat irradiation might be an effective tool to reduce the content of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms not considered by Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. In regard to potential toxicological considerations, foods irradiated in the range established by the legislation seem to be safe and nutritionally suitable. However an increase in quantity and variety of irradiated foodstuffs in the European Union is bound to predictably increase their daily intake in all population ranges and therefore it would be necessary to review the current studies to determine the actual risk due to a larger and ampler intake of radiolytic compounds.