CFR > Title 21 - Food and Drugs > CHAPTER I—FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES > SUBCHAPTER E—ANIMAL DRUGS, FEEDS, AND RELATED PRODUCTS (parts 500 to 590) > PART 579—IRRADIATION IN THE PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, AND HANDLING OF ANIMAL FEED AND PET FOOD > SUBPART B—Radiation and Radiation Sources (§579.22 to §579.40) > 579.22—Ionizing radiation for treatment of animal diets.

579.22—Ionizing radiation for treatment of animal diets.

Ionizing radiation for treatment of complete diets for animals may be safely used under the following conditions:
(a) Energy sources. Ionizing radiation is limited to:
(1) Gamma rays for sealed units of the radionuclides cobalt-60 or cesium-137.
(2) Electrons generated from machine sources at energy levels not to exceed 10 million electron volts.
(b) Uses. (1) The ionizing radiation is used or intended for use in single treatment as follows:
Food for irradiation Limitations Use
Bagged complete diets, packaged feeds, feed ingredients, bulk feeds, animal treats and chews Absorbed dose: Not to exceed 50 kiloGrays. Feeds and feed ingredients treated by irradiation should be formulated to account for nutritional loss Microbial disinfection, control or elimination
(2) If an irradiated feed ingredient is less than 5 percent of the final product, the final product can be irradiated without being considered to be re-irradiated.

Code of Federal Regulations

[51 FR 5993, Feb 19, 1986; 51 FR 8315, Mar. 11, 1986, as amended at 58 FR 18148, Apr. 8, 1993; 66 FR 18540, Apr. 10, 2001]