The industry welcomed the announcement, saying it will make meat safer. Anti-nuclear groups oppose the procedure and some health advocates fear it might lead to a relaxation of other safety practices such as plant sanitation.
Irradiation also remains a hot issue in America's kitchens.
During irradiation, low-level doses of gamma rays or electron beam irradiation are administered to kill bacteria. Irradiation is the only known method to eliminate a potentially deadly strain of E. coli in raw meat. The technology can also significantly reduce levels of listeria, salmonella and campylobacter bacteria. Recently, contamination at a meat processing plant in Michigan was linked to 11 deaths, and listeria was the suspected culprit. The USDA rule on irradiation will be published in the Federal Register within 10 days, with a 60-day period after that for public comment.