FDA Denies Hearing on Egg Irradiation Rule

The agency rejected all 26 opposing comments it received, including a letter from Public Citizen that FDA addressed point by point. Apr 14, 2011 The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a request to hold a public hearing on its final rule allowing for irradiation of fresh shell eggs to reduce Salmonella pathogens. The denial was announced in the April 13 Federal Register, but it comes more than a decade after FDA issued the rule itself on July 21, 2000. The rule permits irradiation at doses not to exceed 3.0 kiloGray (kGy). Public Citizen raised several points in its letter opposing the rule. FDA received 25 other opposing submissions, some of which asked for a hearing, but said these voiced general opposition and offered no evidence that could be weighed at a hearing. (More....)