The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved rules that increase the maximum allowable dosage of irradiation in meat and poultry products. This will allow the use of a 4.5 kilogray (kGy) maximum absorbed dose of ionizing radiation to treat unrefrigerated and refrigerated uncooked meat to reduce levels of foodborne pathogens and extend shelf life. The rules are in response to petitions filed in 1999 by USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).