The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) is proposing to amend the current regulation to establish a common name for raw meat and poultry products to which liquids (solutions) have been added.  

Currently products with added solutions are known as “enhanced products” and USDA-FSIS is proposing that the common name for these products include:

• an accurate description of the raw meat or poultry,
• the percentage of solution added to the raw meat or poultry, and
• the ingredients in the solution.

USDA-FSIS is also proposing the following:

• to require the package label include the common name in a one font size, color, and style on a single color background, and
• to adjust a current regulation on the definition of “ready to cook poultry” with added solutions.

DEADLINE:

Consumers have until September 26, 2011 to send their comments to USDA-FSIS and may be submitted by either:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FSIS-2010-0012-0001. Click on Submit a Comment and follow the instructions. The website allows consumers to type short comments in the comment field and/or attach a file for lengthy comments.
• Mail: Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, FSIS
           Room 2-2127, George Washington Carver Center
           5601 Sunnyside Ave.
           Beltsville, MD 20705-5273

All items submitted should include the Agency name (USDA-FSIS) and docket number (FSIS-2010-0012). All comments received will be made available to the public without change and posted to http://www.regulations.gov .

To review the USDA-FSIS Proposed Regulation in its entirety please click here