Which foods may be treated with UV-C?

• UV-treated bread (vitamin D₂)
• UV-treated mushrooms (vitamin D₂)
• UV-treated baker’s yeast (vitamin D₂)
• UV-treated milk (vitamin D₂)

There is no EU positive list for UV-C disinfection of food — UV-C is non-ionizing and sits entirely outside Directive 1999/2/EC, which is scoped to "foods and food ingredients treated with ionising radiation" (Annex I of Directive 1999/2/EC restricts permitted sources to gamma from ⁶⁰Co/Cs-137, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV). The EU Community-level positive list (Directive 1999/3/EC) authorises only dried aromatic herbs and spices (≤10 kGy) for ionising irradiation. The EFSA 2016 opinion on UV-treated foods is advisory, not an authorisation. There is an EU-wide route for the other kind of UV treatment: where UV raises a food's vitamin D₂ level it is a novel food under Reg. (EU) 2015/2283 — the Union list (Reg. (EU) 2017/2470) carries authorisations for UV-treated bread, mushrooms, baker's yeast and milk. Day-to-day UV-C surface/equipment/water/air hygiene sits under Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002 + EC 1935/2004, uniformly across the single market.^{[21][22][27][28]}

Directive 1999/2/EC (framework) + 1999/3/EC (positive list) — food.ec.europa.eu

• Drinking water
• Surfaces of fruit & vegetable products
• Hard cheese (during storage)
• Eggs (clean shells; per Reg. (EC) 853/2004)

LMBestrV § 1 (4) (consolidated 2019, last amended 25 Nov 2025) authorises UV-C treatment of the food itself for disinfection of exactly these four: (1) drinking water, (2) the surfaces of fruit and vegetable products, (3) hard cheese during storage, (4) eggs within the meaning of Reg. (EC) 853/2004 Annex I 5.1 — and only eggs with no visible shell soiling. § 1 (5) additionally permits the incidental UV exposure that occurs when air is being disinfected; § 1 (3) permits UV for control/measurement purposes. No "irradiated"/"treated with ionizing radiation" labelling applies to UV-C (that label, § 3, is only for the ionizing-treated dried herbs/spices). Pulses/legumes are not named separately — they would only be covered if treated as a "vegetable product". Anything beyond these uses needs a per-case BVL approval after a BfR risk assessment (no known successful UV approvals for e.g. fresh meat or dairy). UV on equipment, conveyor belts and packaging is not restricted by LMBestrV at all.^[20]

LMBestrV § 1 (gesetze-im-internet.de)

• High-fat food in vacuum / inert atmosphere (surface)
• Potable water in food production
• Juice products (turbulent flow, Re ≥ 2200)
• + pulsed xenon light, surface (§ 179.41)

21 CFR 179.39 sanctions UV — but narrowly: the source must be a low-pressure mercury lamp emitting 90 % at 253.7 nm and operated without ozone production, and only for three uses — (1) surface microorganism control on high-fat-content food irradiated in vacuum or an inert atmosphere (≤1 W of 254 nm per 5–10 ft²), (2) sterilisation of water used in food production (absorption ≤0.19/cm, depth ≤1 cm, 100 gal/h per watt, 36–46 °C), (3) reduction of pathogens in juice products in turbulent flow with Reynolds number ≥ 2200 (the Juice HACCP enabler, added 2000). 21 CFR 179.41 separately allows pulsed xenon light (200–1100 nm broadband, pulse ≤2 ms, cumulative ≤12 J/cm²) for surface microorganism control. Note: 179.39 is written for mercury at 254 nm — UV-LED (265–280 nm) or far-UVC (222 nm) treatment of food isn't covered by it and would need a separate FDA route (FCN/GRAS/petition). UV-C on food-contact surfaces, equipment, packaging and air is GMP — not 179.39.^[25][26]

21 CFR 179.39 / 179.41 (Cornell LII)

Unlike Germany, Austria’s irradiation ordinance (Verordnung über die Behandlung von Lebensmitteln und Verzehrprodukten mit ionisierenden Strahlen, BGBl. II 327/2000, consolidated 2026) covers only ionizing radiation and does not mention UV at all; its positive list (Anlage 2) is just the EU list — dried herbs/spices, ≤10 kGy. So there is no UV-specific positive list and no UV-specific permit in Austria: UV-C surface decontamination, equipment, packaging, water and air sit under general food-hygiene law (LMSVG + EU 852/2004 / 178/2002), broadly the same as the EU framework — and using UV-C as a deliberate processing step on a consumer food is judged case-by-case under general food-safety law (cf. the advisory EFSA 2016 opinion), not under a positive list.^[27]

AT Bestrahlungsverordnung (RIS)

Switzerland has no UV-specific positive list for food treatment. The irradiation regime (Art. 28 LGV SR 817.02 + Art. 4 / Anhang 3 VtVtH SR 817.022.42) covers only ionizing radiation — permitted sources: Co-60/Cs-137 gamma, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV. The only no-authorisation exception is dried aromatic herbs/spices ≤10 kGy (Codex Alimentarius standard); all other ionizing uses require individual BLV authorisation. UV-C is non-ionizing and falls instead under Art. 27 LGV (physical procedures for shelf-life extension / microbiological safety) + Section 2 VtVtH, which permits UV-C surface treatment of food provided the process does not significantly modify the food's material composition, nutritional value, or sensory properties. The BLV (Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen) explicitly confirms this: UV surface treatment of nuts for hygienisation is permitted under Art. 27 LGV. UV-C on equipment, packaging, process air and thin-layer water runs under the same general provision with no positive list. A UV treatment that does significantly change a food's composition (e.g. raising vitamin D₂ from ergosterol in mushrooms) triggers the neuartige Lebensmittel (novel-food) route under Art. 15 LGV + Verordnung über neuartige Lebensmittel (SR 817.022.2). No "mit ionisierenden Strahlen behandelt" labelling requirement applies to UV-C.^[31]

Art. 27/28 LGV (SR 817.02) + Art. 4/Anhang 3 VtVtH (SR 817.022.42) — fedlex.admin.ch

• UV-treated bread / mushrooms / yeast / milk (retained novel-food list)

The Food Irradiation (England) Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/1584; equivalents for Wales/Scotland) implement Directives 1999/2/EC + 1999/3/EC — i.e. the regime is ionizing radiation only (gamma / X-ray ≤5 MeV / electrons ≤10 MeV); its permitted categories (fruit, vegetables incl. pulses, cereals, bulbs & tubers, dried herbs/spices, fish & shellfish, poultry) are ionizing categories, with dried herbs/spices the default-permitted one (≤10 kGy) and the rest licence-based. UV-C is not "irradiation" under SI 1584, so UV-C disinfection of food surfaces / equipment / packaging / water / air sits under retained general food-hygiene law; the retained novel-food authorisations (UV-treated bread, mushrooms, baker's yeast, milk) carry over post-Brexit. FSA-enforced.^[28]

Food Irradiation (England) Regs 2009 (SI 1584)

No UV-specific positive list: France's food irradiation regime is implemented by Décret n° 2001-1097 du 16 novembre 2001 (relatif au traitement par ionisation des denrées destinées à l'alimentation humaine ou animale), which defines permitted radiation sources as exclusively ionising (Art. 3: gamma rays from Co-60 or Cs-137; X-rays ≤5 MeV; electrons ≤10 MeV) — UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. The authorised food categories are set by the Arrêté du 20 août 2002 (relatif aux denrées et ingrédients alimentaires traités par ionisation): the EU Community list (dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable condiments, ≤10 kGy) plus an extensive national positive list — frozen aromatic herbs (10 kGy), onions/garlic/shallots (0.075 kGy), dried vegetables and fruits (1 kGy), cereal flakes/germs for dairy use (10 kGy), rice flour (4 kGy), gum arabic (3 kGy), poultry meats and mechanically separated poultry (5 kGy), poultry offal (5 kGy), frozen frog legs (5 kGy), frozen peeled/beheaded shrimp (5 kGy), liquid/dried/frozen egg white (3 kGy), casein and caseinates (6 kGy). All are ionising treatments; UV-C is not in this regime. UV-C surface treatment of food, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002). The DGCCRF conducts annual inspection plans for irradiated foods and approves ionising irradiation facilities (five currently active in France).^[21][22][38]

Décret n° 2001-1097 du 16 nov. 2001 + Arrêté du 20 août 2002 (legifrance.gouv.fr)

No UV-specific positive list: the Netherlands' food irradiation regime is implemented by Warenwetbesluit Doorstraalde waren (Besluit van 2 april 1992, BWBR0005465; consolidated 24 May 2016), which covers ionising radiation only — permitted sources (Art. 3): gamma from Co-60/Cs-137, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV. UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. The Netherlands holds an extensive national positive list (Art. 6) beyond the EU Community list: dried fruits (1 kGy), pulses and legumes (1 kGy), cereal flakes (1 kGy), dehydrated vegetables (10 kGy), dried aromatic herbs, spices and plant herbs (10 kGy), shrimp (3 kGy), poultry meat (7 kGy), frog parts (5 kGy), gum arabic E414 (10 kGy), egg products (6 kGy), and frozen sterile meals for patients with a medical prescription (75 kGy) — all ionising treatments; UV-C is not in this regime. UV-C on food surfaces, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][43]

Warenwetbesluit Doorstraalde waren BWBR0005465 (wetten.overheid.nl)

No UV-specific positive list: Belgium's food irradiation regime is implemented by Koninklijk Besluit van 12 maart 2002 betreffende de behandeling van voedsel en voedselingrediënten met ioniserende straling (Royal Decree of 12 March 2002; Belgisch Staatsblad 14 March 2002; also amends KB 20 July 2001 on general radiation protection), which covers ionising radiation only — UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. Bijlage II (Annex II) sets maximum doses for Belgium's extensive national positive list: potatoes, onions, garlic and shallots (0.15 kGy — sprouting inhibition), strawberries, peppers, general fresh produce, paprika, pepper, gum arabic, spices, shrimp, frog legs, poultry meat, egg white, test-animal feed and infusion preparation materials — one of the most extensive national lists in the EU. All are ionising treatments; UV-C is not in this regime. The Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC/AFSCA) is the competent food authority; facility authorisation sits with FANC/AFCN. UV-C on food surfaces, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][44]

KB 12 maart 2002 betreffende de behandeling van voedsel met ioniserende straling (etaamb.openjustice.be)

No UV-specific positive list: Italy's food irradiation regime is implemented by Decreto Legislativo 30 gennaio 2001, n. 94 (GU n. 56 del 8-3-2001; implementing EU Directives 1999/2/CE + 1999/3/CE). Art. 2 restricts treatment to ionising radiation only — sources: gamma from Co-60/Cs-137, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV; UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. Allegato IV lists Italy's authorised food categories: dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable condiments (EU Community list, ≤10 kGy) plus Italy's national addition — garlic, onions and potatoes (sprouting inhibition; national authorisation maintained under Art. 4(3) Directive 1999/2/CE pending EU harmonisation). One irradiation facility is active in Emilia-Romagna; no irradiation volumes were recorded in 2020. Competent authority: Ministero della Salute. UV-C on food surfaces, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][45]

D.Lgs n. 94 del 30 gennaio 2001 (normattiva.it)

No UV-specific positive list for food treatment: Poland's food irradiation regime is implemented by Rozporządzenie Ministra Zdrowia z dnia 20 czerwca 2007 r. w sprawie napromieniowania żywności promieniowaniem jonizującym (Dz.U. 2007 nr 121 poz. 841; effective 21 July 2007), which by its title and scope covers ionising radiation ("promieniowaniem jonizującym") only — UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. Permitted ionising sources: Co-60/Cs-137 gamma, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV (consistent with EU/Codex Alimentarius standards). The Annex lists Poland's extensive national positive list: (1) potatoes (sprouting inhibition; 0.025–0.1 kGy), (2) onions (sprouting inhibition; <0.06 kGy), (3) garlic (sprouting inhibition; 0.03–0.15 kGy), (4) fresh mushrooms (growth/aging inhibition; 1.0 kGy), (5) dried mushrooms and dried vegetables (microbial load reduction; 1.0 kGy), (6) dry spices / dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings (microbial load reduction; ≤10 kGy — EU Community list category). Maximum overall average dose cap: 10 kGy. Only one approved ionising irradiation facility operates in Poland: the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Warsaw (all listed categories). UV-C on food surfaces, equipment, packaging, process air and thin-layer water runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[46]

Rozporządzenie MZ z 20.06.2007 w sprawie napromieniowania żywności promieniowaniem jonizującym (Dz.U. 2007 nr 121 poz. 841) — isap.sejm.gov.pl

• Water for food production / bottled drinking and infant water (UV § 3 — wavelength 250–270 nm, 400 J/m²)

Czech Republic's food irradiation regime is implemented by Vyhláška č. 133/2004 Sb. (Ministry of Health Decree on conditions for food and raw-material irradiation, maximum permitted doses and packaging labelling; 12 March 2004; in force 26 March 2004). Unlike most EU member states, this decree explicitly addresses UV treatment: § 3 ("ultrafialové paprsky" — UV rays) permits UV treatment at wavelength 250–270 nm and surface energy density 400 J/m² (≥85 % of radiant power at 253.7 nm) for: (a) water intended for production of bottled infant water and bottled drinking water, and (b) water used as raw material in food production. This mirrors the water provision in the US 21 CFR 179.39. UV-C on food surfaces, packaging, equipment and process air is general EU food-hygiene law, not covered by this decree. For ionising radiation (permitted sources: Co-60/Cs-137 gamma, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV), Annex 1 lists an extensive Czech national positive list including potatoes / sweet potatoes / shallots (0.2 kGy), vegetables and legumes (1.0 kGy), fruit (2.0 kGy), poultry meat (5.0–7.0 kGy), fish and shellfish (3.0–5.0 kGy), and dried aromatic herbs, spices and plant seasonings (10.0 kGy) — one of the most extensive national lists in the EU. No "ošetřeno ionizujícím zářením" labelling requirement applies to UV-treated water.^[47]

Vyhláška č. 133/2004 Sb. o podmínkách ozařování potravin a surovin — zakonyprolidi.cz

No UV-specific positive list: Spain's food irradiation regime is implemented by Real Decreto 348/2001 (BOE núm. 82, 5 April 2001, BOE-A-2001-6699), which transposes Directives 1999/2/CE + 1999/3/CE into Spanish law — a regime scoped to ionising radiation only (gamma from Co-60/Cs-137, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV; Annex II / Art. 4.2). UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. Spain's authorised food list mirrors the EU Community list exactly: only dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable condiments (≤10 kGy); no national additions. UV-C surface treatment of food, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][35]

Real Decreto 348/2001 (BOE-A-2001-6699, boe.es)

No UV-specific positive list: Denmark's food irradiation regime is implemented by Bekendtgørelse nr. 796 af 22. august 2000 (Bestrålingsbekendtgørelsen — Bekendtgørelse om fremstilling, markedsføring og indførsel af fødevarer og fødevareingredienser, der er behandlet med ioniserende stråling; Ministeriet for Fødevarer, Landbrug og Fiskeri), which transposes Directives 1999/2/EF + 1999/3/EF into Danish law — a regime scoped to ioniserende stråling (ionising radiation) only. UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. The authorised category is the EU Community list: only dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings (≤10 kGy); Denmark has no national additions. No approved irradiation facility currently operates in Denmark. UV-C surface treatment of food, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][37]

BEK nr 796 af 22/08/2000 (Bestrålingsbekendtgørelsen — retsinformation.dk)

No UV-specific positive list: Sweden's food irradiation regime is implemented by SLVFS 2000:46 (Livsmedelsverkets föreskrifter om behandling av livsmedel och livsmedelsingredienser med joniserande strålning — Swedish Food Agency Regulation on treatment of foods and food ingredients with ionising radiation), which transposes Directives 1999/2/EC + 1999/3/EC. The regime covers ionising radiation only; UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. Sweden's authorised category is the EU Community list: dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings (≤10 kGy) — no national additions. Irradiation may only be performed when necessary to prevent disease transmission and only when no other technical means can achieve the required pathogen reduction; it cannot substitute for poor hygiene practices. Mandatory labelling: "bestrålad" or "behandlad med joniserande strålning". No facility in Sweden is currently approved for food irradiation. UV-C on food surfaces, equipment, packaging, water and air sits under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][39]

SLVFS 2000:46 (Livsmedelsverket — livsmedelsverket.se)

No UV-specific positive list: Finland's food irradiation regime is implemented by Kauppa- ja teollisuusministeriön asetus elintarvikkeen käsittelystä ionisoivalla säteilyllä (Ministry of Trade and Industry Decree on the Treatment of Food with Ionising Radiation), 852/2000 (effective 18 October 2000). The decree's scope (§ 2) is explicitly limited to ionising radiation ("ionisoivalla säteilyllä") — UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by this definition. § 5 specifies permitted radiation sources: Co-60/Cs-137 gamma rays, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV — no UV source is listed. § 7 authorises a single food category: dried aromatic herbs, spices and spice plants ("kuivatut mausteyrtit, mausteet ja maustekasvit") at a maximum average absorbed dose of ≤10 kGy — the EU Community list only; Finland has no national additions. Mandatory labelling: "säteilytetty" or "käsitelty ionisoivalla säteilyllä" (§§ 10–11). No approved ionising irradiation facility currently operates in Finland. UV-C on food surfaces, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][40]

Decree 852/2000 (finlex.fi) — Kauppa- ja teollisuusministeriön asetus elintarvikkeen käsittelystä ionisoivalla säteilyllä

Ireland's irradiation regime is implemented by the European Communities (Foodstuffs Treated with Ionising Radiation) Regulations, S.I. No. 297 of 2000, which gives effect to Directives 1999/2/EC and 1999/3/EC — a regime scoped to ionising radiation (gamma, X-ray, electrons) only. UV-C is non-ionizing and excluded by definition; UV-C surface/equipment/water/air decontamination runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002). Ireland follows the EU Community list without national additions: only dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable seasonings (≤10 kGy) are authorised for ionising irradiation. Composition-changing UV treatment (vitamin D₂ enrichment) is a novel food under the retained EU Union list. FSAI is the competent authority for irradiated food oversight; facility licensing sits with RPII/EPA.^[21][22][33]

S.I. No. 297 of 2000 (irishstatutebook.ie) / FSAI

No UV-specific positive list: Portugal's food irradiation regime is implemented by Decreto-Lei nº 337/2001 (26 December 2001; amended by D-L 108/2018 and D-L 81/2022), which transposes Directives 1999/2/CE + 1999/3/CE into Portuguese law — a regime scoped to radiação ionizante de alta energia (high-energy ionising radiation only). UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. The authorised food categories are the EU Community list only: dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable condiments (≤10 kGy); Portugal has no national additions. DGAV (Direção-Geral de Alimentação e Veterinária) is the competent authority; no approved irradiation facility currently exists in Portugal. UV-C surface treatment of food, equipment, packaging, water and air runs under general EU food-hygiene law (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^[21][22][36]

Decreto-Lei nº 337/2001 (DGAV — dgav.pt)

No UV-specific positive list in either state. Norway's ionising irradiation regime is implemented by Forskrift om behandling av næringsmidler med ioniserende stråling (FOR-2001-03-20-504; Helse- og omsorgsdepartementet / Ministry of Health and Care Services; effective 1 May 2001; last amended 12 December 2022). § 5 specifies permitted ionising sources: gamma from Co-60/Cs-137, X-rays ≤5 MeV, electrons ≤10 MeV — UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by definition. Vedlegg I (Appendix I) contains a single food category: tørkede aromatiske urter, krydder og vegetabilske smaksgivere (dried aromatic herbs, spices and vegetable flavouring agents) at a maximum dose of 10 kGy — EU Community list only; no national additions. Labelling: "bestrålt" or "behandlet med ioniserende stråling" near the product name (§§ 10a–10b). No approved irradiation facility operates in Norway. Iceland similarly implements the EU food irradiation framework as an EEA Contracting Party via Reglugerð 341/2001 (Regulation 341/2001; Matvælastofnun – MAST is the competent authority), which transposes EU Directives 1999/2/EC + 1999/3/EC as incorporated through the EEA Agreement — ionising sources only, UV-C excluded by definition. UV-C on food surfaces, equipment, packaging, water and air in both states runs under the EEA-incorporated EU food-hygiene acquis (Reg. (EC) 852/2004 + 178/2002).^{[21][22][41][42]}

FOR-2001-03-20-504 (lovdata.no) + Reglugerð 341/2001 (Iceland)

• UV-treated apple juice / cider (Health Canada LONO — CiderSure 3500, ≥5-log E. coli O157:H7 reduction)

Canada’s Food and Drug Regulations, Division 26, B.26.001 defines "irradiation" as "treatment with ionizing radiation" — UV-C (non-ionizing) is excluded by definition. The Division 26 positive list covers: potatoes and onions (sprouting inhibition), wheat and flour (insect control), whole or ground spices and dehydrated seasonings (microbial load reduction), fresh and frozen raw ground beef (pathogen reduction, added in 2017). Mango and poultry were submitted for approval but remain not on the current Division 26 table. UV-C surface / equipment / water decontamination runs under the Food and Drugs Act and general food-hygiene law, not Division 26. For UV-C treatments that change a food composition or constitute a novel process, Health Canada evaluates these case-by-case via the novel-food assessment and Letter of No Objection (LONO) route: UV-treated apple juice / cider (CiderSure 3500) has a Health Canada LONO confirming ≥5-log reduction of E. coli O157:H7; UV-treated mushrooms (for vitamin D₂ enrichment) are sold in Canada under the same route. No "treated with ionizing radiation" labelling required for UV-C.^[30]

Food and Drug Regulations Div. 26, B.26.001 (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca)

FSANZ Food Standards Code Standard 1.5.3 — Irradiation of Food defines "irradiation" as "subjecting food to ionising radiation" (gamma rays from Co-60, electron beams ≤10 MeV, X-rays from machine sources) — UV-C is non-ionizing and excluded by this definition. Standard 1.5.3 currently permits: all fresh fruit and vegetables (for phytosanitary pest control only — preventing insect pests crossing quarantine borders; expanded to all produce via Application A1261, gazetted July 2021) and herbs and spices / herbal infusions (pest control, sprouting control, bacterial decontamination). UV-C on food surfaces / equipment / packaging / water / process air is general food-safety law — not Standard 1.5.3. A UV treatment that makes a "novel food" (e.g. UV-raised vitamin D₂ in mushrooms) requires a pre-market FSANZ assessment under Standard 1.1.1 and the novel-food provisions; approved novel foods are listed in Schedule 25. No "treated with ionising radiation" labelling requirement applies to UV-C. FSANZ administers the standard for both Australia and New Zealand under the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991.^[29]

FSANZ Standard 1.5.3 (legislation.gov.au series)

• (ionizing only: potatoes — sprouting inhibition, Co-60 gamma, <150 Gy; approved 1972)

Japan is the world's most restrictive jurisdiction for deliberate food irradiation. The Food Sanitation Act (食品衛生法, FSA; Art. 13) empowers the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA, 消費者庁, formerly MHLW) to publish the "Specifications and Standards for Foods, Food Additives, etc." (食品、添加物等の規格基準). The irradiation section of those Standards authorises exactly one treatment: potatoes for sprouting inhibition only, using cobalt-60 (Co-60) gamma rays at <150 Gy — approved under the Food Sanitation Law in 1972; commercial irradiation at the Shihoro Isotope Irradiation Center (Hokkaido) since 1974. No other food category, radiation source, dose or purpose is permitted for ionising irradiation, and no further approvals have been granted since 1972. The Enforcement Regulations (施行規則) Appended Table 3, item 8 impose mandatory labelling (irradiation date on packaging) for irradiated potatoes. UV-C is non-ionising and entirely outside the irradiation regime — no positive-list authorisation is needed for UV-C use on equipment, surfaces, water or air. A deliberate UV-C treatment of a consumer food product has no positive list and would be assessed case-by-case under general food safety law. No "照射" (irradiation) labelling applies to UV-C.^[34]

Food Sanitation Act (食品衛生法) Art. 13 + CAA Specifications and Standards for Foods — japaneselawtranslation.go.jp

China's food irradiation regime is governed by the Food Safety Law (2019) Art. 23 ("food irradiation processing shall comply with national food safety standards") and implemented via GB 18524-2016 (National Food Safety Standard: Hygienic Specifications for Food Irradiation Processing; issued NHC/NHFPC + SFDA, 23 Dec 2016, in force 23 Dec 2017; NHC公告 2016年第17号; replaces GB/T 18524-2001) plus the GB 14891 series (GB 14891.1–8). § 2.1 defines food irradiation (食品辐照) as "the process that uses the radiation chemistry and radiation microbiology effects of ionising radiation (电离辐射) in food to achieve suppression of sprouting, ripening control, pest control, sterilisation and preservation" — UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by this definition. Permitted ionising sources (§ 4.1): ⁶⁰Co or ¹³⁷Cs gamma rays, machine-generated X-rays (≤5 MeV) and electron beams (≤10 MeV) — no UV source is listed. Permitted food categories (§ 3.5): "the types of irradiated foods shall be within the scope specified in GB 14891; other foods shall not be irradiated" — the GB 14891 series (GB 14891.1–8) covers: (1) cooked livestock/poultry meat, (2) pollen, (3) nuts and dried fruits, (4) dried spices, (5) fresh fruits and vegetables, (6) fresh/frozen pork, (7) frozen packaged livestock/poultry meat, (8) beans, grains and their products. UV-C on food-contact surfaces, packaging, process air and thin-layer water is general GMP under GB 14881-2013 (Good Manufacturing Practices for Food Production) + Food Safety Law Art. 33 — no positive list required. A composition-changing UV treatment (vitamin D₂ enrichment) requires a novel-food-raw-material assessment under NHC procedures. Mandatory labelling as "辐照食品" (§ 8, cross-referencing GB 7718 clause 4.1.11.1 + GB 14891) applies only to ionising-irradiated products; UV-C is exempt.^[49]

GB 18524-2016 食品安全国家标准 食品辐照加工卫生规范 (NHC/NHFPC 公告 2016年第17号 — GACC PDF)

• (ionizing: any food — Codex-aligned, no upper dose limit)

ANVISA RDC 21/2001 (Resolução RDC nº 21 de 26 de janeiro de 2001 — Regulamento Técnico para o uso de Radiação Ionizante no Tratamento de Alimentos) defines "irradiação" as "processo físico de tratamento que consiste em submeter o alimento...a doses controladas de radiação ionizante" — a physical process applying controlled doses of ionizing radiation only. UV-C is non-ionizing and falls outside this definition entirely. Permitted ionizing sources (Art. 4.2): gamma-emitting Co-60 and Cs-137, X-rays up to 5 MeV, electrons up to 10 MeV. Brazil's approach is Codex-aligned and notably liberal on the ionizing side: "qualquer alimento poderá ser tratado" (any food may be irradiated), subject to GMP and appropriate dose limits — there is no positive list restricting food categories (contrast with EU, Japan). UV-C surface / equipment / water decontamination in Brazilian food plants sits under ANVISA's general food-hygiene GMP rules; there is no UV-specific positive list and no "tratado por processo de irradiação" labelling requirement for UV-C.^[32]

ANVISA RDC 21/2001 (bvsms.saude.gov.br)

India's food irradiation regime is governed by two parallel frameworks: (1) the Atomic Energy (Radiation Processing of Food and Allied Products) Rules, 2012 (Department of Atomic Energy / AERB — facility licensing and processing authorisation; supersedes the earlier Atomic Energy (Control of Irradiation of Food) Rules, 1991) and (2) the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, Chapter 2.13 (FSSAI — product standards and labelling). Under Chapter 2.13, "irradiated food" is defined as "articles of food subjected to radiation by: (i) Gamma Rays; (ii) X-rays from machine sources operated at or below an energy level of 5 million electron volts; or (iii) electrons from machine sources operated at or below an energy level of 10 million electron volts" — UV-C is non-ionising and excluded by this definition. The Atomic Energy Rules (Schedules I–II of the 2012 Rules) establish eight approved classes of food for ionising irradiation: Class 1 — bulbs, stem and root tubers, rhizomes (0.02–0.2 kGy, sprouting inhibition); Class 2 — fresh fruits and vegetables other than Class 1 (0.1–2.5 kGy, ripening delay / insect disinfestation / shelf-life); Class 3 — cereals and milled products, pulses and milled products, nuts, oil seeds, dried fruits (0.25–5 kGy, insect disinfestation / microbial load reduction); Class 4 — fish, aquaculture produce, seafood and crustaceans — fresh or frozen (0.3–7 kGy, pathogen elimination / shelf-life / parasite control); Class 5 — meat, poultry and eggs (0.3–7 kGy, pathogen elimination / shelf-life / parasite control); Class 6 — dry vegetables, spices, condiments, tea, coffee, cocoa (0.3–14 kGy, microbial decontamination / insect disinfestation); Class 7 — dried animal products (0.3–7 kGy, insect disinfestation / mould control / pathogen elimination); Class 8 — ethnic / military / space / ready-to-eat meals (0.25–25 kGy, quarantine / microbial reduction / sterilisation). All eight classes are ionising radiation treatments; UV-C has no specific positive list under Indian food law and is not regulated as "irradiation". UV-C on food-contact surfaces, packaging, equipment, process air and thin-layer water runs under general FSSAI food-hygiene GMP conditions. Mandatory labelling for ionising-irradiated foods: Radura logo (green) + "PROCESSED BY RADIATION" declaration near the product name. BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy) is the principal applied-research authority for food irradiation in India; AERB issues facility processing licences; FSSAI is the food-safety competent authority.^[48]

FSSAI Chapter 2.13 — Radiation Processing of Food (fssai.gov.in PDF) + Atomic Energy (Radiation Processing of Food and Allied Products) Rules, 2012