[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 21, Volume 6]
[Revised as of April 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 21CFR579.22]

[Page 506]
 
                        TITLE 21--FOOD AND DRUGS
 
CHAPTER I--FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 
                          SERVICES--(Continued)
 
PART 579--IRRADIATION IN THE PRODUCTION, PROCESSING, AND HANDLING OF ANIMAL FEED AND PET FOOD--Table of Contents
 
               Subpart B--Radiation and Radiation Sources
 
Sec. 579.22  Ionizing radiation for treatment of laboratory animal diets.


    Ionizing radiation for treatment of complete diets for laboratory 
animals (mice, rats, and hamsters) 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. The ionizing radiation is used or intended for use in 
single treatment as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Food for irradiation            Limitations             Use
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bagged complete diets for         Absorbed dose: Not  Microbial
 laboratory animals (mice, rats,   to exceed 50        disinfection.
 hamsters, rabbits, and guinea     kiloGrays (5
 pigs).                            megarads) Feeds
                                   treated by
                                   irradiation
                                   should be
                                   formulated to
                                   account for
                                   nutritional loss..
------------------------------------------------------------------------


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