FSIS Makes Revisions to the Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book Entries

In response to the final rule for “Descriptive Designation For Raw Meat and Poultry Products With Added Solutions,” FSIS is revising entries in the Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book. The changes are effective immediately.

The following entries are deleted: “Added Solutions (Poultry) (Boneless),” “Dipped Steaks,” “Marinated,” and “Poultry Roast.”

The following entries are revised to reflect the new labeling requirements for ease of reading and consistency with other FSIS guidance: “Approximate,” “Artificial Marbling – Red Meat Products,” “Fabricated Steak,” “Fajitas,” “For Further Processing,” “Glazes,” which will be renamed as “Ice Glazes with Flavor,” “Jerk or Jerk Style,” “Labeling of Products Containing meat with Added Solutions or Other Nonmeat Ingredients in Secondary Products,” “Poultry Grading: (Labeling),” “Poultry, Raw Solution,” “Product Name Qualifiers,” “Rolls,” “Teriyaki Products,” “Tocino (Filipino or Philippine Style),” “Chicken Tocino,” which will be renamed as “Tocino, Chicken,” “Water Based Solutions in Red Meat in Meat Products.”

The following entries are revised to clarify that they are not subject to the new requirements: “Barbecue Meat or Poultry “Eastern North Caroline Style,” “Beef A La Mode,” “Chinese Style  Barbecue Meat,” “Cooked Red Meat products Containing Added Substances,” “Dry Salt Cured,” “Papain,” and “Teriyaki, Meat or Poultry.”

FSIS published a Federal Register notice, titled, Availability of Updated FSIS Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book on Aug. 19, 2015 to announce changes to the policy book. This notice identified that other entries needed to be updated or eliminated and that FSIS would notify the public of these updates through the use of the Constituent Update.

Comments on the revised entries in the policy book may be submitted the following ways:

• Mail, including CD-ROMs: send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue S.W., mailstop 3758, room 6065, Washington, D.C. 20250-3700.
• Hand or courier-delivered submittals: deliver to 1400 Independence Avenue SW, room 6065, Washington, D.C. 20250-3700.
• Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, call (202) 720-5627 to schedule a time to visit the FSIS Docket Room at 1400 Independence Avenue SW, room 6065, Washington, D.C. 20250-3700.  

All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the agency name and docket number FSIS-2018-0046. Comments received in response to this docket will be made available for public inspection and posted without change, including any personal information to https://www.regulations.gov. The comment period will end on Dec. 22, 2018.

FSIS Posts Individual Salmonella Category Status for Poultry Carcass Establishments and Aggregate Results for Chicken Parts, Comminuted Poultry and Poultry Carcasses Tested for Salmonella

On Oct. 22, 2018, FSIS will update the individual establishments’ category status for Salmonella performance standards for poultry carcasses at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/science-data/data-sets-visualizations/microbiology/microbiological-testing-program-rte-meat-and-0. FSIS also will update the aggregate sampling results relative to process control categories for establishments producing young chicken or turkey carcasses, raw chicken parts or not ready-to- eat (NRTE) comminuted poultry products at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/science-data/data-sets-visualizations/microbiology.

FSIS to Discontinue PFGE and Move to WGS for Campylobacter Isolates

FSIS has been performing pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) in parallel for all bacterial pathogens isolated from FSIS testing programs since fiscal year 2017. Through this issuance, FSIS is announcing the suspension of PFGE analyses for Campylobacter isolates and transitioning to use WGS for isolate characterization. The suspension of PFGE for Campylobacter isolates will occur 30 days from this publication. The action is being taken in coordination with federal and public health partners in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) PulseNet network and takes into account the progress made in deploying the WGS capacity across state and federal partners.

Reminder: USDA and FDA Will Hold a Joint Public Meeting on Use of Animal Cell Culture Technology to Develop Products Derived from Livestock and Poultry

On Sept. 10, 2018, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, DVM and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. announced a joint public meeting to be held on Oct. 23-24, 2018 to discuss the use of cell culture technology to develop products derived from livestock and poultry.

The joint public meeting, hosted by the FSIS and the FDA, will focus on the potential hazards, oversight considerations, and labeling of cell cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry. The first day of the meeting will focus primarily on the potential hazards that need to be controlled for the safe production of animal cell cultured food products and oversight considerations by regulatory agencies. The second day of the meeting will focus on labeling considerations. Attendees are encouraged to pre-register to attend the meeting. Pre-registration is available at the Meetings and Events page on the FSIS website. The meeting will be held on Oct. 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Oct. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Jefferson Auditorium in the U.S. Department of Agriculture South Building, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, D.C. 20250.

To view the meeting agenda, please visit: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media_file/2021-03/USDA-FDA-Cell-Culture-Technology-Agenda.pdf.  

Policy Updates

FSIS notices and directives on public health and regulatory issues are available at: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/policy/directives-notices.  The following policy updates was recently issued:

• Notice 57-18 - Computer Return Policy

Export Requirements Updates

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

• Jamaica
• New Caledonia
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Western Samoa

For a complete list of countries, visit https://www.fsis.usda.gov/inspection/import-export.