WASHINGTON,
D.C. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS) is proposing a new rule to establish common, easy-to-understand
names for raw meat and poultry products that include injections, marinades, or
have otherwise incorporated added solutions that may not be visible to the
consumer. FSIS has determined that some labels do not clearly identify if a
result, consumers may be purchasing raw meat and poultry products with higher
sodium content than they realize. The agency invites comments on the proposed
rule, which is intended to clarify these products’ labels so consumers can
easily distinguish them from raw meat and poultry that do not contain added
solutions.
“Consumers
should be able to make an informed choice in the store, which is why we need to
provide clear, informative labels that will help consumers make the best
decisions about feeding their families,” says Under Secretary for Food Safety
Dr. Elisabeth Hagen. “It has become evident that some raw meat and poultry
labels, even those that follow our current guidelines, may not be clear.”
Currently,
raw meat and poultry products that contain added solutions such as water,
teriyaki sauce, salt, or a mixture thereof may have the same name on their
labels as products that do not contain added solutions. For example, a
single-ingredient chicken breast and a chicken breast with added solution both
may be labeled as “chicken breast,” even though one package contains purely
chicken breast and one may be comprised of 60 percent chicken breast and 40
percent solution. While the label of the chicken breast with added solution
must state that it contains solution, consumers may not notice such information
if it is not a part of the product’s name. An example of a product name under
the proposed rule would be: “chicken breast – 40% added solution of water and
teriyaki sauce.”
The
agency has tentatively concluded that, without specific, clear and conspicuous
information about the percentage of added solution incorporated into the
product, the labeling of these raw meat or poultry products is likely to
mislead consumers. The proposed rule would require that the common or usual
name of these products include an accurate description of the raw meat or
poultry component, the percentage of added solution, and the individual or
multi-ingredient components in the added solution. The print for such labels
would be presented in a font, size and color that are easily visible to
consumers.
The
proposed rule is posted on the FSIS website
and also will be published in the Federal Register. Comments must be received
on or before 60 days from publication in the Federal Register and may be
submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal, or by mail
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, FSIS Docket Clerk, Room 2-2127, George
Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Mailstop 5272, Beltsville, MD 20705.
All comments must identify FSIS and docket number FSIS-2010-0012.
