The USDA is inviting public input on revised standards aimed at assisting American processors in accurately determining the retained water percentage in raw livestock, poultry, and select fish carcasses and parts following processing.
Under the proposal titled “Release of Updated Guidelines for Managing Retained Water in Raw Meat and Poultry,” the agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) also outlined plans to commence verifying that establishments are appropriately assessing water content in applicable products and labeling them accordingly. The guidelines outline various methodologies for establishments to gather and analyze data to ascertain the water content in products governed by the retained water protocol, according to USDA.
Comments on the guidelines will be accepted by the USDA until May 31, with establishments given until September 30 to submit their revised protocols to the Risk Management and Innovations Staff (RMIS) via FSIS for evaluation. These establishments will then have until April 1, 2025, to implement any necessary alterations to product labels concerning water content, as stated by USDA.
