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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
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Food Safety and Inspection
Service United States Department of Agriculture Washington, D.C. 20250-3700 |
Congressional and Public Affairs
Steven Cohen (202) 720-9113
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2002-- The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced new measures to ensure that meat products derived from Advanced Meat Recovery (AMR) systems are accurately labeled for consumers.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is issuing a revision to an existing directive that will instruct inspectors at establishments using AMR systems to take routine regulatory samples to verify that spinal cord is not present in AMR product. Under the new sampling program, if spinal cord tissue is identified, then the product would not meet FSIS labeling and inspection requirements for meat. FSIS will also propose changes to strengthen an existing proposed AMR rule to include central nervous system tissue removal specifications. Additional public comment will be sought on the proposed rule before it is finalized.
"These measures will strengthen existing policies and regulations regarding advanced meat recovery systems. At the same time these steps will help ensure that meat products are accurately labeled," said Dr. Elsa A. Murano, USDA under secretary for food safety. "This is another important step in this Administration’s efforts to ensure that all regulations are being followed and enforced."
AMR is a technology that enables processors to remove remaining muscle tissue from beef carcasses without breaking bones. Currently, FSIS inspectors are authorized to take regulatory samples of AMR product if they believe that an establishment is not completely removing spinal cord tissue. Spinal cord tissue is not allowed in meat and the new sampling program will require inspectors to test AMR product on a routine basis to verify that spinal cord tissue is not present.
The revised directive specifically requires inspection personnel to notify the establishment at the time they take a sample, allowing the establishment to hold the product being tested. If the tests identify the presence of spinal cord tissue, then inspection personnel will withhold marks of inspection from the establishment's AMR product and tag the AMR system itself, meaning neither the product nor the equipment can be used until satisfactory corrective action has been taken. Inspection personnel will conduct follow-up sampling to verify that the establishment has taken appropriate corrective action. AMR production will not be allowed to resume until FSIS determines that corrective actions have been successful. If the establishment has distributed the sampled product, FSIS will request a voluntary recall.
Food safety information is available on USDA’s website at www.usda.gov.
For Further Information, Contact:
FSIS Congressional and Public Affairs Staff
Phone: (202) 720-9113
Fax: (202) 690-0460