USDA New Traceability Label Requirement for Raw Meat and Poultry

The United States Dept. of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a new proposed rule for labeling of raw meat and poultry, which might contain additives to enhance texture, color, or flavor of raw meat. 

After careful analysis of the current meat handling and processing, it was discovered by the Food Safety and Inspection Service, that some additives, which were added to raw meats, had not been labeled, so consumers might not know about the additional contents of processed and or raw meats.

Under the proposed new rule, meat processors will have to completely label the products, with all ingredients, additives, and injected color or marinades, on packages of raw and or processed meat.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service gave the following real example, of chicken breasts that are in supermarkets today, the following is a real example.

There are chicken breasts at supermarkets today, are not as pure chicken breasts, as we think. One package contains regular chicken breasts, with no additives; the label is marked as chicken breasts. The next package is marked as chicken breasts as well, but the actual contents are processed chicken breasts, which contains 60% chicken breasts, and 40% solution (water and teriyaki sauce). So the label must actually reflect the true product or processed meat, with labeling to match, such as 60% chicken breasts, 40% solution (with an actual list of ingredients in the solution).

ScoringAg provides a complete traceability solution for meat packaging and processing, which enables consumers to actual trace in real time with a smart phone, the actual process, ingredients, inspections, and handling of a processed meat product.

The ScoringAg software is a web based traceability database, which is FDA compliant with labeling for the meat packing industry, agriculture produce, and livestock.

ScoringAg has a safety compliance non manipulable data in the database.  Information entered and stored in the traceability database, is secure, reliable and meets the integrity and scrutiny of FDA requirements, for labeling and reliable traceability standards for the food supply industry.

For more information on the current proposed FDA labeling rule, and current labeling compliance, that is in effect as of July 2011 under the new FDA “Food Safety Modernization Act”. You can reach me by email at G.Luker@ScoringAg.com

ScoringAg knows about safety and compliance in our food supply chain. Consumers need to safe about the food they eat, being able to trace produce and meats through the food distribution and supply chain, gives us all a sense of safety and security.

Additional Resources:

USDA News Release on Labeling Requirement
USDA Food and Safety Modernization Act
ScoringAg Traceability
ScoringAg Complete FDA Compliant Traceability

(C) Copyright 2011 George Luker, All Rights Reserved