G/SPS/N/USA/2556  
 
13 June 2013  
(13-3052)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Meat 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[X] All trading partners   
[ ] Specific regions or countries:   
5. Title of the notified document: Descriptive Designation for Needle- or Blade-
Tenderized (Mechanically Tenderized) Beef Products  Language(s): English  Number 
of pages: 16 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPD E/rdad/FRPubs/2008-0017.pdf  
6. Description of content: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is proposing to 
require the use of the descriptive designation mechanically tenderized on the labels of 
raw or partially cooked needle- or blade-tenderized beef products, including beef products injected with marinade or solution, unless such products are destined to be 
fully cooked at an official establishment. B eef products that have been needle- or- blade-
tenderized are referred to as mechanically tenderized products. FSIS is proposing that the product name for such beef products include the descriptive designation 
mechanically tenderized and an accurate description of the beef component. By including 
this descriptive designation consumers will be informed that this product is non-intact.  
Non-intact products need to be fully cooked in order to be rendered free of pathogenic 
bacteria because bacteria may become transloc ated from the surface of the meat during 
mechanical tenderization. FSIS is also proposing that the print for all words in the 
descriptive designation as the product name appear in the same style, color, and size and on a single-color contrasting background. In addition, FSIS is proposing to require 
that labels of raw and partially cooked needle- or blade-tenderized beef products 
destined for household consumers, hotels, restaurants, or similar institutions include validated cooking instructions that inform consumers that these products need to be 
cooked to a specified minimum internal temper ature, and whether they need to be held 
at that minimum temperature for a specified ti me before consumption, i.e., dwell time or 
rest time, to ensure that they are fully c ooked. Based on the scientific evidence that 
indicates that mechanically tenderized beef pr oducts need to be cooked more thoroughly 
than intact beef products, FSIS is proposin g these amendments to the regulations. FSIS 
is also announcing that it has posted on its Web site guidance for developing validated cooking instructions for mechanically tenderized product. The recommendations in the 
guidance document are based on the results from published research designed to 
identify minimum internal temperature and time combinations sufficient to render a 
product and studies designed to validate cooking instructions. G/SPS/N/USA/2556 
 
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  7. Objective and rationale: [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, 
[ ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.   
8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:     
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : To be announced. 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : To be announced. 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : To be announced. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 9 August 2013 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
Federal eRulemaking Portal: This Web site provides the ability to type short comments 
directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. 
Go to http://www.regulations.gov . Follow the on-line instructions at that site for 
submitting comments. 
Mail, including CD-ROMs, etc.: Send to Dock et Clerk, US Department of Agriculture, 
Food Safety and Inspection Service, Docket  Clerk, Patriots Plaza 3, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Mailstop 3782, Room 8-163B, Washington, DC 20250-3700. 
Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E. Street SW, 
Room 8-163B, Washington, DC 20250-3700. 
Instructions: All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the Agency 
name and docket number FSIS-2012-0013. Comments received in response to this docket will be made available for public inspection and posted without change, including 
any personal information, to http://www.regulations.gov . 
Docket: For access to background documents or comments received, go to the FSIS 
Docket Room at Patriots Plaza 3, 355 E. Street SW, Room 8-164, Washington, DC 20250-3700 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. 
For further information contact: Rachel Edelstein, Assistant Administrator, Office of 
Policy and Program Development, FSIS, US Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700; Tel: +(202) 205 0495; Fax: 
+(202) 720 2025. G/SPS/N/USA/2556 
 
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  13. Texts available from: [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
United States SPS National Notification Auth ority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 
International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 
20250; Tel: +(1 202) 720 1301; Fax: +(1 202) 720 0433; E-mail: us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov