Tips for Faster Label Approval Process

Labels are currently taking about 5-7 business days to evaluate. 

TIP: Processing procedures, which must be submitted with every label application, should provide sufficient detail to support basic information about the product, including the HACCP category, product name, and information about the product that may not be explained elsewhere in the application.

Labels submitted to FSIS must include processing procedures as part of the application. Paper labels submitted with FSIS Form 7234-1 need to include processing procedures in Box 16 of the form, while labels submitted via the Label Submission and Approval System (LSAS) need to include processing procedures in a text box on the “Processing Information” screen.

Processing procedures in a label application should include sufficient information to convey to the label reviewer basic information on how the product was produced and provide general information about the product. For example, the processing procedures should be sufficient to support the product’s HACCP category in Block 5 of the label application. Processing procedures should also clarify if a product meets a regulatory standard. For example, if bacon returns to green weight prior to slicing as required by 9 CFR 319.107 or if a product meets a product naming standard, such as if a product labeled as “beef jerky” has a moisture protein ratio (MPR) of 0.75 or less.

Processing procedures are important to determine whether a product must bear a descriptive designation declaring an added solution; for example, if the product is vacuum tumbled or injected. The processing procedures should also include sufficient detail to support some processing-related factual claims or statements that appear on the label or in the ad copy; for example if the product is labeled as “grilled,” the procedures should clarify that the product was grilled.

Although FSIS does not approve the processing procedures as part of the label evaluation process, FSIS will return label applications for missing, unclear, or inconsistent processing procedures that have a bearing on the labeling, such as processing procedures that describe grinding boneless poultry parts for a “ground beef” label.

For more information about entering processing procedures in LSAS see page 118 of the User Guide for Industry Users.

FSIS will continue to provide updates regarding label turnaround time, as well as suggestions to assist industry to streamline label submissions in its Constituent Update.

FSIS Posts Updated Quarterly Sampling Results

On November 6, 2020, the sampling results for FSIS regulated products will be updated on the FSIS website. Quarterly, FSIS calculates prevalence, volume weighted percent positive, or percent positive calculations for microbial pathogens in FSIS regulated products that are currently sampled through existing sampling projects using the prior 12 months of sampling data. Sampling results are available for raw beef, raw pork, raw chicken, raw turkey, egg products, and ready-to-eat products.

The sampling results will be available at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/science-data.

Export Requirements Update

The Library of Export Requirements has been updated for products for the following countries:

• Colombia 
• Jamaica
• Mexico 
• Ukraine

Complete information can be found at https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/import-export.