WASHINGTON (AP) - Ground beef that's been zapped to kill deadly bacteria could start showing up in supermarkets next month.

New rules that allow the irradiation of raw beef, pork and lamb take effect Tuesday. To its advocates, irradiation could be one of the biggest advancements in food safety since the pasteurization of milk.

The question is whether consumers want it. "Most people are ready. They are sick and tired of hearing of cases of food-borne outbreaks," said Christine Bruhn, director of the Center for Consumer Research at the University of California-Davis.

Most meatpackers intend to start small, testing irradiated ground beef in select markets to see how it sells. A Florida processer, Colorado Boxed Beef Co., is expected to be the first to test the market, through grocery chains in the Southeast.

The company had to recall 359,000 pounds beef products in November 1998 because of possible contamination with the deadly E. coli bacteria, and Florida officials have been promoting irradiation heavily.

Initially, irradiated meat is likely to be most popular with hospitals and nursing homes, because of the danger E. coli poses to patients with weakened immune systems. But its use there could generate interest from consumers, said Tim Willard, a spokesman for the National Food Processors Association.

The meat is expected to cost an extra three to five cents per pound but the price is likely to drop as it becomes more widely available.

"We view this as a consumer choice issue. The consumer will ultimately determine the success," said Gary Michaelson, a spokesman for the nation's biggest beef processor, IBP Inc., which plans to begin test-marketing irradiated hamburger patties next month.

No. 2 Excel Corp. plans to start shipping treated beef to its food service customers the first week of March.

Irradiation has long been allowed for poultry, as well as fruits, vegetables and spices. It is seldom used on poultry, partly because the primary pathogens aren't as dangerous as E. coli O157:H7, and chicken processors haven't thought it was worth the expense, say industry experts. One big recall for E. coli, however, can devastate a meatpacker financially.

The irradiation is done by three methods - gamma rays, X-rays, or electron beams. In addition to eliminating E. coli, the treatment can significantly reduce levels of other pathogens, including listeria, salmonella and campylobacter. The food isn't radioactive, and while there is a slight loss of nutrients, the food is largely unchanged, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

FDA also is considering allowing irradiation for hot dogs, luncheon meats and other ready-to-eat products.

Special labels are required, carrying the international symbol of irradiation, known as a "radura," and a statement that they were treated. The symbol, colored green on a white background, depicts two leaves resting in a semicircle, with a green dot above it beneath a broken-lined semicircle.

E. coli O157 can cause serious illness and sometimes death, especially in children and the elderly. An estimated 73,480 people are infected every year, and about 600 cases are fatal, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"This is an extra layer of food safety," said Mark Klein, a spokesman for Excel, which blasts beef carcasses with steam to kill E. coli. "We definitely view it as an additional tool and not a replacement for other technologies or food safety programs."

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.