Nuclear fuel pellet

In a cylindrical nuclear fuel pellet comprising ceramic oxide, a layer easily cracked during use in a reactor is disposed on the outer surface of the circumference or the inner side thereof, to make the surface of a pellet easily be cracked in parallel with the circumferential direction. That is, the layer in the inner side of the pellet is cracked during use, to separate the fused layer and the pellet piece and the pellet piece is easily dropped from the cladding tube upon meat removal. As a result, even if the inner surface of the cladding tube and the pellet are fused, the cladding tube and the pellet can efficiently be separated in a meat removing step in a fuel reprocessing step. (N.H.)