Food Safety While Hiking, Camping

& Boating

USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health

agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring

that the nation’ s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products

is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

USDA Photo

Bone-in poultry products that are injected or marinated with a solution

containing butter or other edible fat, broth, stock or water plus spices,

flavor enhancers and other approved substances must be labeled as

basted or self basted. The maximum added weight of approximately 3%

solution before processing is included in the net weight on the label. Label

must include a statement identifying the total quantity and common or

usual name of all ingredients in the solution, e.g., “Injected with

approximately 3% of a solution of ____________ (list of ingredients)."

Use of the terms “basted” or “self-basted” on boneless poultry products is

limited to 8% of the weight of the raw poultry before processing.

The term “certified” implies that the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection

Service and the Agriculture Marketing Service have officially evaluated a

meat product for class, grade, or other quality characteristics (e.g.,

“Certified Angus Beef”). When used under other circumstances, the term

must be closely associated with the name of the organization responsible

for the “certification” process, e.g., “XYZ Compan y’s Certified Beef .”

The term is not allowed to be used on a label.

Producers must demonstrate to the Agency that the poultry has been

allowed access to the outside.

“Fresh” means whole poultry and cuts have never been below 26 °F (the

temperature at which poultry freezes). This is consistent with consumer

expectations of “fresh” poultry, i.e., not hard to the touch or frozen solid.

Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms

“What does `mechanically separated meat or poultry’ mean?”

“If chicken is labeled ‘fresh,’ how can it be so rock hard?”

“Does ‘natural’ mean ‘raised without hormones’?”

These are just some of the questions consumers have ask ed USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline about words

which may be descriptiv e of meat and poultry. Can they be legally used on labels and, if so what are their

definitions?

Here from USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a glossary of meat and poultry labeling terms. FSIS is

the agency responsible for ensuring the truthfulness and accuracy in labeling of meat and poultry products.

Knowing the meaning of labeling terms can make purchasing of meat and poultry products less confusing.

Basted or Self Basted

Certified

Chemical Free

Free Range or Free

Roaming

Fresh Poultry
Food Safety Information 2

Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms

In 1997, FSIS began enforcing a final rule prohibiting the use of the term

“fresh” on the labeling of raw poultry products whose internal

temperature has ever been below 26 °F.

The temperature of individual packages of raw poultry products labeled

“fresh” can vary as much as 1 °F below 26 °F within inspected

establishments or 2 °F below 26 °F in commerce.

Fresh poultry should always bear a “keep refrigerated” statement.

Temperature of raw, froz en poultry is 0 °F or below.

Young, immature turkey usually less than 16 weeks of age of either sex.

Products prepared by federally inspected meat packing plants identified

with labels bearing references to “Halal” or “Zabiah Halal” must be

handled according to Islamic law and under Islamic authority.

The sex designation of “hen” (female) or “tom” (male) turkey is optional on

the label, and is an indication of size rather than the tenderness of a turkey.

“Kosher” may be used only on the labels of meat and poultry products

prepared under rabbinical supervision.

The definition of “meat” was amended in December 1994 to include as

“meat” product derived from advanced meat/bone separation machinery

which is comparable in appearance, texture and composition to meat

trimmings and similar meat products derived by hand. Product produced

by advanced meat recovery (AMR) machinery can be labeled using terms

associated with hand-deboned product, e.g., “beef ” or “pork” trimmings

and ground “beef ” or “pork.” The AMR machinery cannot grind, crush or

pulverize bones to remove edible meat tissue and bones must emerge

essentially intact. The meat produced in this manner can contain no more

than 150 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams product. Products that

exceed the calcium content limit must be labeled “mechanically separated

beef or pork. ”

Mechanically separated meat is a paste-like and batter-like meat product

produced by forcing bones with attached edible meat under high pressure

through a sieve or similar device to separate the bone from the edible

meat tissue. In 1982, a final rule published by FSIS on mechanically separated meat said it was safe and established a standard of identity for the

food product. Some restrictions were made on how much can be used and

the type of products in which it can be used. These restrictions were

based on concerns for limited intake of certain components in MSM, like

calcium. Due to FSIS regulations enacted in 2004 to protect consumers

against Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, mechanically separated beef

is considered inedible and is prohibited for use as human food. However,

mechanically separated pork is permitted and must be labeled as 

"mechanically separated pork” in the ingredients statement.

Mechanically separated poultry is a paste-like and batter-like poultry

product produced by forcing bones with attached edible tissue through a

sieve or similar device under high pressure to separate bone from the

edible tissue. Mechanically separated poultry has been used in poultry

products since 1969. In 1995, a final rule on mechanically separated

poultry said it would be used without restrictions. However, it must be

labeled as “mechanically separated chicken or mechanically separated

turkey” (depending upon the kind of poultry used) in the ingredients

statement. The final rule became effective November 4, 1996.

Fresh Poultry,

continued

Frozen Poultry

Fryer-Roaster Turkey

Halal and Zabiah Halal

Hen or Tom Turkey

Kosher

“Meat” Derived by

Advance Meat/Bone

Separation and Meat

Recovery Systems

Mechanically Separated

Meat

Mechanically Separated

Poultry
Food Safety Questions?

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 pro vider and employer.

Revised April 2011

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety

purposes. However, the included image from PhotoDisc, used under license, is

protected by the copyright la ws of the U.S., Canada, and elsewhere, and may

not be saved or downloaded except for printing of this publication.

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

Send E-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov.

Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms

A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only

minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was

processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product.

The label must include a statement explaining the meaning of the term

natural (such as “no artificial ingredients; minimally processed”).

Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry. Therefore, the

claim “no hormones added” cannot be used on the labels of pork or

poultry unless it is followed by a statement that says “Federal regulations

prohibit the use of hormones."

The term “no hormones administered” may be approved for use on the label

of beef products if sufficient documentation is provided to the Agency by the

producer showing no hormones have been used in raising the animals.

The terms “no antibiotics added” may be used on labels for meat or

poultry products if sufficient documentation is provided by the producer to

the Agency demonstrating that the animals were raised without antibiotics.

For information about the National Organic Program and use of the term

“organic” on labels, refer to these factsheets from the USDA Agricultural

Marketing Service:

• Organic Food Standards and Labels: The Facts

• Labeling and Marketing Information

Product is fully cooked and ready to eat.

Turkeys of either sex that are less than 8 months of age according to

present regulations.

No Hormones

(pork or poultry)

No Hormones

(beef)

No Antibiotics

(red meat and poultry)

Organic

Oven Prepared

Young Turkey

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response

system can provide food safety

information

24/7 and a

live chat

during

Hotline

hours.

If you have a question

about meat, poultry, or

egg products, call

the USDA Meat and

Poultry Hotline

toll free at

1-888-MPHotline

(1-888-674-6854)

The hotline is open

year-round

 Monday through Friday from 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. ET (English

or Spanish).

Recorded food safety

messages are available

24 hours a day. Check

out the

FSIS Web site at

www.fsis.usda.gov. AskKaren.gov

PregunteleaKaren.gov

Natural