Am I just a crazy nerd or is this verbiage from the USDA hilarious and just plain scary?
“MECHANICALLY SEPARATED POULTRY is a paste-like and batter-like poultry product produced by forcing bones with attached edible tissue through a sieve or similar device under high pressure to separate bone from the edible tissue. Mechanically separated poultry has been used in poultry products since 1969. In 1995, a final rule on mechanically separated poultry said it would be used without restrictions. However, it must be labeled as “mechanically separated chicken or turkey” in the ingredients statement. The final rule became effective November 4, 1996.
I found this and many other interesting definitions on a fact sheet from the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service while researching a story (not yet published) on sustainably raised turkey for the holidays. Here’s an interesting definition for meat:
“MEAT” DERIVED BY ADVANCED MEAT/BONE SEPARATION AND MEAT RECOVERY SYSTEMS: The definition of “meat” was amended in December 1994 to include as “meat” product derived from advanced meat/bone separation machinery which is comparable in appearance, texture and composition to meat trimmings and similar meat products derived by hand. Product produced by advanced meat recovery (AMR) machinery can be labeled using terms associated with hand-deboned product, e.g., pork trimmings and ground pork. The AMR machinery cannot grind, crush or pulverize bones to remove edible meat tissue and bones must emerge essentially intact. The meat produced in this manner can contain no more than 150 milligrams of calcium per 100 grams product.
This really gives meaning to the value of, ahem, whole foods. I mean, I’m all for using every part of the buffalo so to speak, but this language really makes you think about your chicken nuggets. (Mmmmmmmmm, chicken nuggets.)
Here’s an interesting tidbit: Though some poultry and pig producers play up the fact that their birds are “raised without added hormones,” all poultry and pork farmers in the United States are prohibited from using artificial growth stimulants and hormones under U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations. (Beef is another story.)
You can read all of the USDA’s labeling definitions for terms such as self-basting, organic, hormone-free, free-range and natural here.
Enjoy!
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