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December 13, 2020 - from meatingplace:
"USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has agreed to propose rule changes in response to a petition from the Center for Science in the Public Interest and Consumer Reports seeking clarification on how processors label processed meats containing nitrates or nitrites."
"In their petition, the consumer advocacy groups take issue with current rules that allow processors using celery salt or other non-synthetic “natural” sources of nitrates or nitrites to use the claims 'No Nitrate or Nitrite Added” or “Uncured” on product labels with a disclaimer that states “Except those naturally occurring in celery powder.'"
"FSIS regulations, meanwhile, prohibit processors from making such claims when using synthetic sources of nitrates or nitrites."
"But the petitioners argue that nitrates and nitrates — whether they are synthetic or non-synthetic — are potentially harmful; therefore, consumers are being misled by the current labeling protocol. The petitioners want FSIS to require processors to disclose the use of nitrates or nitrites on the front of packaging, as well as describe their function on the ingredients list."
"In response, USDA wrote a letter to CSPI late last week, informing the groups that the agency plans to conduct rulemaking to propose banning the claims “No Nitrate or Nitrite Added” and “Uncured” on products that have been processed using any source of nitrates or nitrites."
"FSIS also intends to approve non-synthetic sources of nitrates or nitrites as curing agents. However, rather than requiring disclosure statements about the use of nitrate or nitrites on labels of meat and poultry products, as requested in the petition, FSIS intends to propose to amend and clarify its meat and poultry labeling regulations to establish new definitions for 'Cured' and 'Uncured.'".
"The basis for these proposed changes would be discussed in detail in the proposed rule, tentatively scheduled for publication in May 2021, the agency said. "
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