U.S. MEAT PROCESSORS ASK FOR LABELLING CHANGE
Four U.S. meat processors have asked
the federal government to relax a labelling requirement which
they said discourages the use of mechanically separated meat,
the U.S. Agriculture Department said.
    The petition, filed by Bob Evans Farms, Odom Sausage Co,
Sara Lee Corp and Owens Country Sausage, asks USDA to allow
mechanically separated meat to be listed on product labels as
the species from which it was derived.
    For example, "pork" would be listed on the ingredients
statement instead of "mechanically separated pork."
    Under the petition, the calcium content of the meat product
would have to be stated on the label and the mechanically
separated meat could constitute no more than 10 pct of the meat
and poultry portion of the product.
    Mechanically separated meat is a high-protein, low-cost
product that has been approved for use since 1978, USDA said.
    Current regulations allow use of mechanically separated
ingredients at levels up to 20 pct of the meat and poultry
product, but require it to be listed in the ingredient
statement as "mechanically separated (species)," USDA said.
    USDA said the petitioning firms claimed companies avoid
using mechanically separated meat in their products because the
term carries an "unwarranted negative connotation" in the minds
of many consumers. The petitioners also noted that no similar
regulation exists for poultry products.
    Mechanically separated meat is made by placing carcass
parts, which usually have been hand-trimmed but still have some
remaining meat, into specialized processing equipment.
 Reuter
