Overview
Meat labels can be confusing, for producers, processors, and consumers. Officials from both the USDA/FSIS Labeling and Program Delivery Division, and Iowa Meat and Poultry Inspection, and the operations manager of Organic Valley’s meat division, Organic Prairie, explain the label approval process, voluntary label claims, updated requirements, and how FSIS interprets claims defined by USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
Date: July 8, 2009
Duration: 90 minutes – This website is no longer hosted, however, the presentation materials are still available.
Presenters:
- Jeff Canavan, USDA/FSIS Labeling and Program Delivery Division, explains the role of this agency, the “prior label approval” system, and generic label approval.
jeff.canavan@fsis.usda.gov - Janis Hochstetler, Iowa Meat and Poultry Inspection, explains what is required on every meat or poultry product label and describes the label approval process at the state inspection level.
janis.hochstetler@iowaagriculture.gov - Tammie Myrick, USDA/FSIS Labeling and Program Delivery Division, explains how voluntary label claims work, recent policy changes, and the relationship between FSIS and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service regarding label claims.
tammie.myrick@fsis.usda.gov - Pam Saunders, operations and quality manager for Organic Prairie, the meat brand of Organic Valley, discusses on label claims and recent regulatory changes from her company’s perspective.
pam.saunders@organicprairie.com
NMPAN Page on Labeling
- FSIS Form 7234 Application for Approval of Labels
- Step By Step Instructions For Filling Out Federal And State Special Claims Applications : This document by North Carolina State University Extension gives a very clear explanation and detailed instructions for filling out a Form 7234, as well as an example State label application from North Carolina.
