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United States Department of
Agriculture Marketing and Regulatory Programs Agricultural
Marketing Service Livestock and Seed Program
Meat Grading
& Certification Branch |
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MGC Instruction 107 |
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October 5, 2006 Effective
January 7, 2007 |
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Page 1 of
7 |
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REQUIREMENTS FOR
GRADING TERMS ON MEAT PRODUCT LABELING
Purpose
This Instruction sets forth the
correct use of grade mark terms on meat items or packaging at all marketing
levels between the point of U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) grading and
the consumer to ensure the accuracy of grading terms on meat product
labeling.
Authorities
The Agricultural Marketing Act
(AMA) of 1946, 7 U.S.C. 1622; Public Law (P.L.) 272; and 7 CFR Part 54, “Meat,
Prepared Meats, and Meat Products Grading and Certification.” The Federal
Meat Inspection Act (FMIA), 21 U.S.C 601, et seq., and 9 CFR Parts
300-500.
Policy
It is the policy of the Meat
Grading and Certification (MGC) Branch to facilitate the marketing of livestock
and meats by providing accurate, uniform, and timely official quality and yield
grading of carcass meats. Further, the MGC Branch will ensure that product
grade identification and integrity are maintained nationwide from producer to
consumer.
Background
Since the early 1920's, the MGC
Branch has facilitated the marketing of livestock and meat in domestic and
international markets. Uniform meat grade identification provides a
standardized way of communicating values between buyers and sellers and
signaling consumer preferences back through marketing channels to the
producer. Meat grades identify carcasses for differences in
value-determining characteristics that are associated with quality and
cutability of meat. For over 80 years, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, the
military, and consumers have depended on the USDA to identify and maintain
quality grade identity from the packer to the plate. To identify and
segregate product by attributes, only official standards and policies that
clearly define the procedures for determining final quality and yield grades can
be used. Although grading is voluntary, once carcasses are graded, and as
long as the product is marketed as graded product, the grade identity must be
accurately maintained throughout distribution in the market place. This
ensures that the ultimate consumer can rely on the grade identity to make
informed purchasing decisions.
The Food Safety Inspection Service
(FSIS) has the primary responsibility to ensure labeling for meat products is
truthful and not misleading. The FMIA defines labeling as all labels upon
any product or any of its containers or wrappers or any other written, printed,
or graphic matter accompanying the product. The FSIS Labeling and Consumer
Protection Staff conducts the USDA Prior Label Approval Program to evaluate and
approve the accuracy of meat product labeling including labels bearing grading
terms. Relative to the use of grade labeling terms, FSIS applies
Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) requirements.
Eligibility for Grade
Labeling
Species of livestock that are
eligible for official USDA grading include beef, veal, calf, lamb, and
pork. Quality grades such as Prime, Choice, and Select, reflect the
palatability of meat. The yield grades (1 through 5) identify carcasses
according to the amount of usable lean meat. Carcasses may be quality
graded, yield graded, or both, as set forth in the applicable official USDA
standards. The official grade terms by species are as follows:
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Beef: |
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Quality Grades – Prime,
Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and
Canner. |
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Yield Grades – Yield Grade
1, Yield Grade 2, Yield Grade 3, Yield Grade 4, and Yield Grade
5. |
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Lamb: |
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Quality Grades – Prime,
Choice, Good, Utility, and Cull. |
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Yield Grades – Yield Grade
1, Yield Grade 2, Yield Grade 3, Yield Grade 4, and Yield Grade
5. |
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Veal/Calf:
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Quality Grades Only – Prime,
Choice, Good, Standard, and Utility. |
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Pork: |
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U.S. No. 1, U.S. No. 2, U.S.
No. 3, U.S. No. 4, and U.S. Utility. |
Maintaining Grade Identity and
Certified Schedule Program (CSP) Identity
As long as an officially graded
product is marketed using grade references, the grade identity of the product
must be accurately maintained. Each link in the market infrastructure must
take appropriate measures to ensure that grading terms used on labels are
accurate, and that grade and other certified marketing claims can be
substantiated using routine audit methods.
- Maintaining a Grade Identity and
a Certified Schedule Program Identity at the Point of Initial Processing –
Every officially inspected establishment that processes carcasses into
vacuum packaged cuts will:
- Develop and submit to FSIS and
the AMS, MGC Branch Staff, a written quality system to maintain grade and
CSP identity throughout the grading, fabrication, packaging, packing, and
storage processes. It is suggested that firms coordinate the
development of the quality system with their local MGC Branch supervisor or
FSIS inspector. Both FSIS and AMS will review and concur on program
approval/disapproval.
- Amendments to the approved
quality system must be identified to the MGC Branch and FSIS, and approved
in advance of implementation.
- Establishments with approved
quality systems will be reviewed or audited in accordance with regulations
and applicable MGC
Instruction 108, Misuse and Misrepresentation of USDA Grade
Names.
- In-Plant Controls—during
processing, grade identity must be maintained by: (1) pre-printed grade shield
on the protective covering; (2) in-line printing, thermal transfer printing,
spray printing, etc. (the grade shield on protective coverings at packaging);
(3) grade shield inserts i.e., rice paper, parchment paper, or any other FSIS
approved material, prior to the closure of protective coverings; or (4) MGC
Branch employee surveillance during fabrication and packaging. CSP
identity on protective coverings can be used in addition to grade shield
identity. For the purposes of this Instruction, the protective covering
is the packing material in which the meat product is directly enclosed
(generally vacuum packaged bags) and the container is the box or shipping case
into which product in protective covering is placed.
- Roller branding is used to
maintain carcass grade identity when carcasses, sides, quarters or wholesale
cuts are shipped out of the plant where grading occurred. The
appropriate roller brand will be applied parallel to the length of the
carcass to the round, sirloin, loin, rib, and chuck. At all times, at
least two legible grade marks will be present on each of these
cuts.
- Roller brands or preliminary
identification marks are no longer required once grade labeled protective
coverings, inserts, or USDA meat grading surveillance are
used.
- Federal
establishments with approved grade labeling programs may ship carcasses to
other production or processing facilities within their corporate structure,
without a rollerbrand using preliminary identification marks applied by a
USDA meat grader, provided the receiving facility has an MGC Branch approved
quality system for grade labeling.
- Carcasses or cuts shipped to
firms or facilities outside the corporate structure of the firm where
grading or certification occurred must be roller branded or otherwise have
the grade identity maintained in accordance with MGC Instruction 500,
Beef, Bullock, and Bull Grading Methods and Procedures.
- Carcasses accepted as meeting
the requirements of a CSP may be used in other CSPs provided all program
requirements are met and appropriate control measures are in place.
For example, carcasses certified for CSP identity may be used in other CSPs
with the same or less restrictive requirements.
- Animals identified at the time
of slaughter as meeting the live animal requirements of a CSP that later
fail to meet carcass requirements or are voluntarily withdrawn from the CSP
are not eligible for any other commercial branded programs based solely upon
identification of the live animal criteria for a USDA certified program.
However, such carcasses may be used for commercial branded programs
provided they are separately identified in accordance with an approved FSIS
labeling program.
- All CSPs must have the written
acceptance of FSIS Labeling and Consumer Protection Staff.
- Grade and CSP Labeling Controls
for Packaged Meat Products
- Prior to Retail
- The correct labeling on the
protective coverings or inserts must be applied at time of packaging and
specific to one grade or CSP. The grade labels must accurately
reflect the grade and/or CSP of the product (i.e., USDA Choice product
must be placed in protective coverings labeled as USDA Choice or packaged
with USDA Choice inserts). Multiple grade or “or higher” labeling is
not permissible on protective packaging materials or inserts. Other
methods of grade and/or CSP labeling on protective coverings that include
permanent and/or tamper evident capabilities will be considered on a case
by case basis. If approved, it must be included in the plant's
written in-house control program.
- Shipping containers of
product may not be grade labeled without the use of grade or CSP labeled
protective coverings, grade label inserts, or USDA meat grading employee
surveillance during packaging. Combos and shipping containers of
product without grade or CSP labeled protective coverings, inserts, etc.,
may be grade labeled with the same grade as what appears on the protective
coverings or grade labeled inserts of individual whole muscle cuts being
produced at the same time. Shipping containers of product in plain
(clear) protective coverings, produced during USDA meat grading
surveillance, must be appropriately identified.
Pressure sensitive stickers are not
permitted on protective coverings in lieu of a pre-printed grade or grade
insert in protective coverings to indicate USDA grades. Pressure
sensitive stickers may be used on shipping containers provided the product
inside has grade labeled protective coverings or grade labeled inserts
inside the protective coverings.
- Check-off boxes are not
permitted to indicate USDA grades.
- Hand-written grade or CSP
information is not permissible on protective coverings or shipping
containers. Hand written quality assurance tags or other hand
written labels may be used for grade control within combos or
bins.
- Use of abbreviations to
express USDA quality or yield grades or CSPs is not permissible (i.e., C,
CH, CHO, AA, AAA, Y, YG, or G20).
- Labeling of grades on
species that are not officially graded is not permitted (e.g., USDA Choice
pork, US Choice pork, Choice pork, Sam's prime Pork, etc.) without
specific, prior approval from FSIS and AMS. However official grade
names may be used for non-graded species products provided they are
preceded by a company name or logo and are not otherwise misleading.
That is, the official grade term cannot be referenced with US, USDA,
enclosed in or near a shield, or otherwise be misleading.
- Multiple grade “or higher”
labeling is permissible on shipping containers provided the labeling is
accurate and the protective covering of the individual muscle cuts are
grade or CSP labeled in accordance with an MGC Branch approved quality
system and this instruction. Multiple grade "or higher" labeling is
not permitted on bulk packed products without individual grade or CSP
labeling.
- In lieu of grade
designations on protective coverings, the approved CSP name and the
phrase, “USDA Certified Program” may be pre-printed on the protective
covering, or on an insert inside the protective covering; however, if USDA
grades are not maintained with the CSP claim, they cannot be added later
or claimed in marketing the CSP products.
- Yield grade labeling must
indicate all yield grades within the shipping container (i.e., Yield Grade
1, 2, 3). The use of “or better” or “or higher” labeling is not
permitted for yield grade labeling.
- Retail and Food Service
Items
- When official grade names
are used as part of a single ingredient product label or on marketing
materials (even if the label, logo, or claim is a registered trademark)
for products subjected to further processing to enhance palatability,
tenderness (injected, marinated, basted, or tumbled), yield, etc.,
official grade names may be used as part of a logo or claim provided the
product’s protective covering and immediate container are labeled in
accordance with this Instruction and the actual grade of the product and
use of the logo or claim is not misleading. For example, a fresh or
closely trimmed, solution-enhanced beef cut that is derived from a carcass
that is officially graded USDA Select may be marketed under a “Nation’s
Choice” marketing program, logo, or claim provided the protective covering
and shipping containers are correctly labeled for grade (i.e., USDA
Select).
- The use of official grade
terms in labels, logos, or claims to market fully-cooked, processed,
and/or uncooked pre-packaged meat and non-meat items is permissible
provided the label, logo, or claim is not misleading or does not reference
official USDA grades in any manner. For example, a low-calorie,
frozen tray-pack meat and vegetable meal may be marketed as “Lean-Choice”
provided there are no references to official USDA grading.
- If grade or CSP label claims
are made on ground, diced, or comminuted meat products, then an approved
quality system must be in place and monitored by the MGC Branch to assure
the meat raw material sources and the manufacturing process ensures that
grade or CSP labels or claims are accurate.
- Retail grade or CSP label
claims must be the same as those on the protective covering or grade
labeled insert if a specific grade term is carried forward. Multiple grade
claims such as USDA Choice or Higher may not be made unless all cuts
inside the container are individually labeled as Prime or Choice.
Graded products may not be downgraded, i.e., boxes labeled as Choice may
not contain Prime graded product.
- Official grade nomenclatures
may be preceded by possessive names provided the retail or food service
item is derived from graded product of the same official grade on a single
ingredient item, (i.e., ABC’s Choice Ribeye Steak must be derived from a
carcass graded USDA Choice).
- Cooked beef items identified
as “Beef Prime Rib” or “Prime Rib of Beef” are not required to be derived
from carcasses graded USDA Prime.
- The use of the term “Chef’s
Prime” on pork may only be cited parenthetically on pork loin boneless
blade roasts or pork loin boneless blade chops prepared as set forth in
the Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards for these items.
- If retail or food service
firms make claims such as “USDA Prime Only” or “Only USDA Choice Served
Here”, the claim must be accurate and verifiable.
Use of Non-Domestic Grade
Terms
When officially graded product from
another country is marketed using that country’s grade names, the grade identity
of the imported product must be accurately maintained and clearly identified
with the name of the country. Each link in the market infrastructure must
take appropriate measures to ensure that non-domestic grade terms used on
labeling are accurate, and that grade and other certified marketing claims can
be substantiated using routine audit methods. For example, the Canadian
beef grading system uses Canada Prime; Canada Choice or Canada AAA; and Canada
AA grade labels for beef exports to the United States. Since the Canadian
grades are not equivalent to the comparable USDA grades, the grades are not
interchangeable. Accordingly, products labeled with Canadian grades must
be clearly identified as “Canadian Prime” or “Canadian Choice.”
| The U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and
activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability,
and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental
status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political
beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is
derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases
apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative
means for communication of program information (Braille, large print,
audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600
(voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA,
Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202)
720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and
employer. |
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