Poultry producers in the United States that export to some countries may be required to have their product analyzed annually for radionuclide activity to ensure that the product is clear of radiological exposure. In order to process a sample, it is required that leg quarters be collected from a processing plant for five consecutive days (1 leg quarter per day). The leg quarters must be frozen and sent to CAIS overnight for morning delivery. The leg quarters are processed as a composite sample through chopping and grinding. Once ground, a 500 ml subsample is collected, weighed and analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides over a 12,000 second time frame. The maximum permitted activity for consumption is 180 Bq/kg. For beta emitting radionuclides, a subsample is collected, oven cooked, ashed and then processed with nitric acid. The remaining solution is placed in a centrifuge and then approximately 1.5 g by weight liquid is transferred to a 25 ml vial. 15 ml of LSC cocktail is added and the sample is placed in a LSC for counting. Activity above 14C will be utilized for determining the total beta-emitting radionuclides with a maximum allowable activity of 80 Bq/kg.

Analytical Fees

Sample Size Requirements