The 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills and the 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act amended the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 to require retailers to notify their customers of the country of origin of muscle cuts and ground lamb, chicken, goat, wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish, perishable agricultural commodities, peanuts, pecans, ginseng, and macadamia nuts. Retail firms such as fish markets and butcher shops, as well as small stores that do not sale the threshold amount of fresh produce, are exempt from country of origin labeling requirements. Restaurants and other food service establishments cafeterias, lunchrooms, institutions, etc. The term perishable agricultural commodity means fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. What state, region, or locality designations are acceptable. Country of origin food labelling 2008 Farm Bill allowed domestic and imported perishable agricultural commodities, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, and ginseng to use state, regional, or locality label designations in lieu of the country of origin. Such designations must be nationally distinct. For example, Rio Grande Valley would not be an acceptable designation because the consumer would not know whether that was referring to a particular state or country. Postal Service abbreviations or other abbreviations approved by Customs and Border Protection. What state, region, or locality designations are acceptable. The 2008 Farm Bill allowed domestic and imported perishable agricultural commodities, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, and ginseng to use state, regional, or locality label designations in lieu of the country of origin. Such designations must be nationally distinct. For example, Rio Grande Valley would not be an acceptable designation because the consumer would not know whether that was referring to a particular state or country. Postal Service abbreviations or other abbreviations approved by Customs and Border Protection. What activities do not change the character of commodity into a processed food item. Trimming, cutting, chopping, and slicing are activities that do not change the character of the product. Likewise, preparation steps for fruits, vegetables, and nuts such as blanching steam or oildicing, removal of seed pit, stem, calyx, husk, pods, rind, skin, peel, etc. These additional steps do not fundamentally alter the name or use of the product by the consumer. For example, dextrose is a sugar. Chicken stock and yeast are flavor enhancers. Rosemary is an enhancer when it is added to meats for color preservation. In addition, enhancement with enzymatic tenderizers, such as ficin and bromelain, do not by themselves result in a processed food item. Meat products that have been tenderized using papain or other similar additive are not considered processed food items. Likewise, meat products that have been injected with sodium phosphate or other similar solution are also not Page 3 of 6 considered processed food items as the solution has not changed the name or character of the covered commodity. Such solutions and marinades intended country of origin food labelling improve flavor, color and juiciness are considered enhancements to an existing commodity. In contrast, meat products that have been marinated with additional food components that result in a new flavor such as LemonPepper, Barbeque or Cajun have been changed in both name and character and thus are considered processed food items. In general, abbreviations are not acceptable. For additional abbreviation guidance, visit the. The intent of the statute is to require retailers to provide specific origin information to consumers. In addition, such disjunctive labeling schemes are not allowed under Country of origin food labelling and Border Protection regulations except under special circumstances. Can raw materials from more than one country be commingled in a package or bulk display. The regulation does allow for comingling of product with the exception of meat muscle country of origin food labelling in consumer packages or retail bins as long as all possible countries of origin are listed. With regard to ground meats, perishable agricultural commodities, fish and shellfish, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, and ginseng, commingling of the same type of products in retail packages or displays with raw materials from different origins is permissible. The Agency cannot prohibit the commingling of like products sourced from multiple vendors. Commingling Page 4 of 6 raw materials of the same product from different sources is a commercially viable practice that has been historically utilized by retailers, and any decision to continue this practice has to be determined by the retailer. The 2013 final rule amended requirements to label muscle cuts of meat by eliminating the allowance to commingle muscle cut covered commodities of different origins. All origin designations are required to include specific information as to the place of birth, raising, and slaughter of the animal from which the meat is derived. Removing the commingling allowance benefits consumers by providing them with more specific information on which to base their purchasing decisions. Commingling of muscle cuts of meat is no longer allowed because the practice may result in potentially misleading labels that do not accurately reflect their actual country of origin. How should muscle cuts of meats derived from animals slaughtered in the U. The rule requires muscle cuts of meat derived from animals harvested in the United States to include specific information regarding where animals were born, raised, and slaughtered. Abbreviations for the production steps are permitted as long as the information can be clearly understood by consumers. Converting a live animal into muscle cuts is not the same as processing a chicken breast into chicken nuggets. How should ground meats be labeled. Production step information where animals were born, raised, and slaughtered is only required on muscle cut commodities. Production steps are not required on ground meats. For example, the appropriate label for ground lamb derived from Canadian, Mexican, Australian, and U. How should imported muscle cuts of meat be labeled. Fish and shell fish covered commodities include fresh and frozen fillets, steaks, nuggets, and any other flesh from a wild or farm-raised fish or shellfish. Farm-raised means fish or shellfish that have been harvested in controlled environments, including ocean-ranched e. Wild means naturallyborn or hatchery-originated fish or shellfish released in the wild, and caught, taken, or harvested from non-controlled waters or beds. Any person engaged in the business of supplying a covered commodity to a retailer, whether directly or indirectly, must make available information to the buyer about the country ies of origin and method s of production for fish and shellfish of the covered commodity. This information may be provided either on the product itself, on the master shipping container, or in a document e. Keep in mind, however, that customers may choose to require additional labeling of documents, product packages, or master containers. Such business transactions are negotiations between buyer and seller, and suppliers should discuss the matter with their customers. One year from the date of the transaction. Records may include any document used in the normal course of business and may be stored in any form electronically or hardcopy and in any location at the retail store facility, a distribution center, or corporate headquarters If you have additional questions or concerns, contact us by phone at 202 720-4486 or email to This information is also available in pdf - View the.
