Washington ? Some of the 28 million children in the national school lunch program may find irradiated hamburger on their plates as early as next year.

The Agriculture Department is seeking suppliers to furnish ground meat zapped by bacteria-killing gamma rays or electricity.

Despite apprehension among some people about the technology, the department issued specifications Thursday to schools notifying them of the coming availability and said it would seek bids from potential suppliers by January.

When compared with conventional beef, “the product that’s irradiated is going to be safer, no question,” said Elsa Murano, the department’s assistant secretary in charge of food safety.

Congress ordered the department last year to start accepting irradiation as a method of sanitizing meat for the school lunch program. Irradiated meat has been allowed in grocery stores since 1999, when the Agriculture Department concluded the benefits — preventing food poisoning — outweighed any risk of side effects.

The American Medical Assn. said irradiation can help reduce the number of deaths and illnesses caused by food poisoning as long as it is used with other sanitary methods to keep meat free of bacteria.

Eric Bost, head of the department’s Food and Nutrition Service, which overseas the school lunch program, said he didn’t know yet how much irradiated hamburger the government would purchase.

An estimated 132 million pounds of ground beef, at a price of $1.25 per pound, was provided to schools in the lunch program last year. Irradiated hamburger costs up to 20 cents more per pound.

“Each school district will have the option to choose between irradiated and nonirradiated ground beef products and will decide how to notify parents and students if they choose to offer them,” Bost said.

Research shows that most of the radiation passes through without being absorbed.