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Ratcheting up meat safety: irradiated products are making their way into the meat case--and more are expected in the future.

Article Excerpt
What was a trickle has turned into a gushing stream. Irradiated fresh and frozen ground beef has arrived at thousands of supermarkets across the country during the past year, with new retailers signing on every few weeks. From large meat-processing companies to national, regional, and independent stores to consumers--the increasing demand for safety assurance has translated to sales at the meat case.

The steady stream of interest may approach flood levels, if the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as many observers anticipate, approves the use of irradiation for ready-to-eat (RTE) foods.

Educating customers and consumers

Education efforts, it seems, are paying off at the grocery level, both from store buy-in to shopper purchases.

"I would guess within several years we'll see the majority of ground beef being irradiated," predicts Steve Wald, director of retail marketing for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), Denver, CO. "It makes sense for the industry, for the manufacturer, for...

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