Low dose gamma sterilization of liquid adhesives

A method for sterilizing a cyanoacrylate monomer adhesive composition, comprising adding a filtered cyanoacrylate monomer adhesive composition comprising monomeric 2-octyl cyanoacrylate, about 2 to about 50 ppm of sulfur dioxide, about 200 to about 15,000 ppm of butylated hydroxyl anisole and, optionally, 18-crown-6 crown ether to individual packaging elements, each individual packaging element comprising multiple layers, wherein the inner-most layer comprises a copolymer of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate in a ratio of acrylonitrile to methyl acrylate of 75:25;

• packaging the individual packaging elements into a container, thereby forming a package;
• and irradiating the package with gamma radiation at a dose of from about 5 to about 10 k Gy, thereby sterilizing the package, wherein the-cyanoacrylate monomer adhesive contained within the container does not cure upon gamma irradiation and for at least two years of shelf storage thereafter.