america's continuing growth depends on the health of our people a plentiful supply of nutritious wholesome food will keep our nation strong abundant protein rich meat contributes to the wellbeing and strength of our people and our country easy to serve prepared meats are an accepted part of our everyday life no more grinding mixing slicing or even cooking at home unless you want to this time consuming work is done for you prepared me inspected and passed by the united states department of agriculture are clean safe wholesome and truthfully labeled how can you be sure the story behind this mock approach from this begins with the millions of animals moving from america's farms and ranches through federally inspected slaughtering plants each year they represent more than eighty percent of the commercial meat slaughtered in this country animals coming under federal inspection are carefully examined by thoroughly trained u s d a meat inspectors livestock unfit for human consumption is slaughtered separately and converted to fertilizer or other non food what's more all government inspected plants and equipment must meet federal requirements each day before operations may begin everything must be clean and sanitary the standards are high for your protection nothing is left to chance every machine part that comes in direct contact with the food you eat must be designed for easy cleaning and cleanliness is strictly enforced from the moment a caucus starts on its way along the line federal meat inspectors stand guard to protect you the consumer all meat that passes inspection is stamped with a round purple mark of wholesomeness the law requires this mark for all meat shipped across state lines or in foreign commerce any questionable carcass is set aside if not acceptable as human food it is condemned only clean safe and wholesome meat goes into the cooler for further processing every year from one end of the country to the other long lines of beef veal lamb mutton and pork go into the prepared and processed meats that are inspected and passed by the united states department of agriculture about eighteen billion pounds a year or two thirds of all the processed meats consumed in this country are prepared under federal inspection whether this inspection is made in portland omaha or dallas or your hometown it is the same the inspector protects you what a point where you cannot do it yourself for instance he sees that the processor limits the amount of the less expensive ingredients used in a product when meat is used in combination with other approved ingredients regulations specify the minimum amount of meat that must be used in the product take frankfurters more than seven billion francs in winners each year in the u s market wholesomeness you would then a fire frank by its shape and color the meat inspectors sees more than that he sees that it's made from wholesome meat with approved amounts of other ingredients in fact under federal meat inspection all products containing meat including soups gravies and stews must contain wholesome ingredients only of the kind and amount appropriate for that product federal me inspectors in the plant make final judgment on acceptability of products they make judgments every day many times a day they rely on their training experience and highly developed senses of sight smell and touch they inspect thousands of different meat products for your individual selection there's bologna bacon patties scrapple pork loaf salami liver worst head cheese liver putting luncheon meat and other favorites most of the meat products they see are acceptable prepared and packaged to suit the most discriminating taste even so the inspector is ever watchful where he has a question he usually makes an on the spot judgment when he is unable to do so he may call on the meat inspection laboratories for detailed analyses adds dry ice and send them along to the nearest meat inspection laboratory in the lab the skills and techniques of the scientists will answer the inspectors questions this bacteriologist test for evidence of antibiotics or other preservatives which are not permitted in federally inspected products a part of the sample is measured placed in the wonder and a phosphate buffer added the resulting mixture is poured into petri dishes are dipped into this mixture and then placed on plates already treated with that say organism after a period of incubation disks from two different meat samples give their answers antibiotics are not permitted because they could conceal some kind of deterioration while preserving the normal meat color scientists in the laboratories are there to help the inspector in the plant resolve the questions he faces they provide one more resource in which he can draw in making a final judgment of acceptability and until such final judgment is made the product is retained then it is either released for food or rejected and converted to uses other than food these laboratories employ chemists microbiologist bacteriologists histo pathologist they analyze material sent to them by the meat inspectors in the plants what's more these laboratories employ not only the familiar tools of the scientific profession but more and more use new highly sensitive electronic devices for complex tests and precise answers let's take a look at some of these people seeking answers to the questions of inspectors for instance they may be asked to determine the wholesomeness of spices or other non meat substances or to check for the presence of foreign materials and they may be asked to measure the protein content of a product it's a simple test for the chemist and an important protection for you the consumer a scientist may be called on to determine the species from which a sample of meat is derived is it beef or pork mutton this record may confirm the inspectors suspicion that pork is included in a product labeled all beef whatever the finding it goes to the inspector who decides how to classify the product he controls the labeling of all federally inspected products to assure accurate information for the the department also gives close attention to imported as well as domestic products this technician prepares a foreign sample to be tested for possible residues left by pesticides and extracts chemicals from the fat the chemist now exposes the paper to ultraviolet light this reveals the presence of any pesticide each one produces its own characteristic pattern in definite positions when chemicals are shown to be present another machine a gas chromatograph can be used to determine how much this device is so sensitive that minute traces even one part in a million can be such highly sensitive and precise laboratory methods increase the meat inspectors ability to ensure thorough protection for your meat supply here is a safeguard we hope will never have to use me inspectors throughout the country are being trained and equipped to check for possible residues of radioactive fallout in case of an accident or national emergency and to support them laboratory personnel are able to run tests on meat samples here's the way it's done this capsule of ash represents what was once a five pound steak and add a co incidence scalar or a beta account or can measure any significant amount of radioactivity in the this is the kind of intensive laboratory testing that supports the meat inspectors and affords you unseen protection the inspector also make sure you get what you pay for u s d a inspection requires that food products containing need have to be labeled properly these labels accurately describe the contents this provision in the law safeguards your interest it helps protect you from misinformation or deception you can read for yourself what goes into the prepared meats you buy the meat inspector make sure that the label lists all ingredients and identifies the specific kind of meat or meats used in a product you can be sure the processor has used at least the minimum amount of meat specified for this product for instance according to federal regulations chili con carne e with beans must contain at least twenty five percent beef based on pork with barbecue sauce must have at least fifty percent cooked fork rest assured that the proper percentage is in the finished product because federal meat inspectors see that the official requirements are met these requirements are set forth in the regulations governing the meat inspection of the us department of agriculture great care has been taken in establishing these rules equally great care is taken to maintain them are revised as necessary to keep up with changing times and new product these regulations have evolved from the records of more than fifty years experience in meat inspection inspection initiated and maintained specialty dishes in addition to meeting all other requirements must also have a reasonable resemblance to the form and taste historically established for them even the picture on the label must be accurate it cannot show more meat than the package contain special claims must be right to to examine label claims meat inspections own home economists test products under conditions similar to those in your own home take this bacon the processor claims it will not char it has been cured with a u s d a approved synthetic sweetener but watch kitchen testing at work yes the claim proves to be accurate the anti charring statement will be allowed to appear on the label that the us department of agriculture specialists carefully screen each proposed label before it may be used legally the processor can market with confidence and you the consumer may be certain that the meat product is prepared meats are american favorites favorites for convenience favorites for nutrition and favorites for flavor prepared meats are easy to serve and good to eat they are enjoyed by almost everyone everywhere day so whenever you're out shopping for yourself  or the whole family meat products that have been approved by the u s department of agriculture just look for the mark of wholesomeness