On October 5, 2016, the Food Safety and Inspection Service announced updated guidance on documentation for animal-raising claims on meat and poultry labels. This October 10 retrospective looks back at that notice, which sought comments by December 5. FSIS said the document reflected its current approach to reviewing claims and encouraged establishments to use it when requesting approval. [fsis-notice][fsis-support]

The agency identified several kinds of supporting evidence. These included a description of controls making a claim valid during the period it covered, a signed and dated account of raising practices, and an explanation of tracing and segregation from slaughter or processing through distribution. Procedures for nonconforming animals or products were also expected. A third-party certificate was required where a third party certified the claim. [fsis-notice][fsis-support]

The supporting legal framework preceded the announcement. Section 412.1 of the 2016 federal regulations included animal-raising and organic claims among special statements requiring submission for approval. The same provision recognized an exception for labels qualifying for generic approval under section 412.2. The October notice therefore should not be read as creating a requirement that every label undergo an identical individual review. [fsis-notice][fsis-support]

FSIS said the update added definitions, claim-specific documentation information, more detail on grass-fed claims, and guidance on carrying claims from purchased products. The notice and regulation explain the approval process, not its measured effectiveness. They do not establish that label accuracy improved, nor do they supply a new consumer-health finding. The announcement was an invitation to use and comment on guidance within an existing system. [fsis-notice][fsis-support]

Source documents

  1. FSIS Labeling Guideline on Documentation Needed To Substantiate Animal Raising Claims for Label Submissionhttps://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2016-10-05/html/2016-24067.htm
  2. 9 CFR 412.1 Label approval (2016 edition), with adjoining 412.2https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2016-title9-vol2/pdf/CFR-2016-title9-vol2-sec412-1.pdf