Canadian Food Inspection Agency - Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures - Chapter 7

7.6 Mandatory requirements for labels of edible meat products in registered establishments

When edible meat products are labelled for retail sale, the mandatory requirement must appear in both official languages on the container.

7.6.2: the net quantity of the meat product (except in the case of random (catch) weight products);

7.6.4: the name and address of the registered establishment where the meat product was produced or labelled or of the person for whom the meat product was produced or labelled, preceded by the words "Prepared for" and "Préparé pour";

The mandatory requirements are dealt with in more detail below and in the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990.

The common name is the name under which a meat product is generally known. Meat products for which a compositional standard is prescribed in the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990, shall be marked with that name.

In the labelling of ground meat, only the following four designations are permitted, depending on the fat content: regular ground "meat" (max. 30% fat), medium ground "meat" (max. 23% fat), lean ground "meat" (max. 17% fat) and extra-lean ground "meat" (max. 10% fat), the term "meat" being replaced by the name of the animal specie (example, regular ground beef).

In the case of a beef carcass, a complete side, a hind quarter, a front quarter, a primal cut or a sub-primal cut, the product must be identified according to the specifications prescribed in the Livestock Carcass Grading Regulations (see 7.12(3)).

Where a non-meat product ingredient such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, cheese, macaroni, pickles or olives is added to a standardized meat product, the name of that non-meat product ingredient must be included in the name of the meat product.

Example: Meat spread, to which tomato has been added, shall be described as "meat spread and tomato".

If a meat product, consisting of meat, meat by-products, mechanically separated meat, or a combination of these meat ingredients, derived from more than one animal species, is referred to as being derived from an animal species, then all the animal species from which the meat products are derived must be identified.

Example: A meat loaf, containing beef and mutton, and pork by-product as meat product ingredients, shall be described as either "beef, mutton, and pork loaf" or simply as "meat loaf".

Instead of adding up to 20% of boneless skinless meat in pieces weighing 25 g or more, the processor may opt to inject up to 15% of ground or emulsified meat trimmings as described in section 4.10.3 (12) of this Manual.

In this example, it is assumed that beef constitutes the greatest percentage of all the meat products used in the composition of the loaf, followed by mutton, and with pork by-product contributing the smallest amount of the three meat products, (descending order of their presence).

A "solid cut meat product" is an edible meat product consisting of either a solid piece of meat or containing at least 80% of boneless skinless meat in pieces weighing 25 g or more.

Such a meat product may be identified by its common name (ex. Boneless Ham) without further qualifications (ex. chopped and formed).

The pieces of meat of 25g or more are calculated on the basis of the weight of raw meat, before any other ingredient is added. It is understood that the processes subsequently used (e.g. injection of brine, massaging and tumbling) result in the release of fine particles of meat. This is a normal reaction. However, to maintain its status of a " solid cut meat product" the process must ensure that the final product respects the proportion and size of pieces of meat as established in the raw meat state.

The use of superlatives such as "First Choice" or "Best Quality" in the name of a meat product is only acceptable if the superlative is preceded by the name of the firm manufacturing the meat product or by the name of the firm for which a meat product is prepared.

Example: "A.Z. Packers Best Quality Wieners" is acceptable. "Best Quality Wieners" is unacceptable as a name.

Special attention must be paid to the origin of natural casings used as wrapping and/or as rework material (see chapter 4, section 4.10.3(16)). If the natural casing used is of a different animal species than that of the meat ingredients used in the sausage, the natural casing must be declared.

The declaration of natural casing may either be added at the end of the list of ingredients, or, if the natural casing is used to wrap the product, in the name of the product. If an animal species is included in the product's name and the product's casing originates from another species, the natural casing must be declared in the product's name.

The declaration of the natural casing is not required when it is derived from an animal species that is used as a meat ingredient in the product.

Example 1: Product name: "Beef Sausage" or "100% Beef Sausage" or "Pure Beef Sausage" etc.

Ingredients: "Beef, water, ...spice"
In this case the declaration of the casing is not required but it must be of beef origin. If a casing from another animal species is used then it must be declared with the name of the product.

Ingredients: "Beef, pork, water, ...spice"
In these cases it is not required to declare the natural casing(s) if they are of beef and/or of pork origin. However if a casing from another animal species is used then it must be declared at the end of the ingredient list. For example: "Beef, pork, water, ... spice ; lamb natural casing."

The declaration of the natural casing with the name of the product is allowed only when the product is stuffed in the declared natural casing. When the natural casing is associated with the name of the product it is not required to declare it at the end of the ingredient list.

Example 1 : Product name: "Beef sausage in lamb natural casing" or "100% Beef sausage in lamb natural casing" or "Sausage in lamb natural casing"

Example 2 : Product name: "Beef and pork sausage in lamb natural casing" or "Sausage in lamb natural casing"

Declaration of the natural casing without naming the animal species is also possible:

Example 1: "Lamb Sausage in natural casing" (when a lamb casing is used), "Pork Sausage in natural casing" (when a pork casing is used).

Example 2: "Pepperoni in natural casing" Ingredients: Beef, pork, water, spice, salt, nitrite. In this case the natural casing must be either of beef or pork origin.

The declaration of the casing must appear as part of the name of the product when:

(d) Use of modifiers such as "100%", "All" or "Pure" in names of sausages and meat patties

Descriptions such as "100% Beef Sausage", "All Beef sausage", or "Pure Pork Sausage" are acceptable, provided the meat product ingredients have been derived exclusively from the animal species indicated.
In the case of meat patties, such modifiers are acceptable for use in the product name, provided that:

These modifiers are permitted for sausages and patties and not for other meat products.

N.B. Special attention should be paid to the nature of the casing used. For instance, a "100% Beef Sausage" shall not be encased in a natural casing derived from any other animal species. However, an edible collagen casing or any other artificial casing will be acceptable.

If qualifiers such as smoked, basted, etc., plus naming the meat product are used as names, then they must conform with the requirements of sections 94, 101 and schedule IV of the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990.

Example: A smoked bologna may be marked with a common name description of either "Bologna" or "Smoked Bologna".
ENZYME:

Meat products which are tenderized with a proteolytic enzyme and are being packaged for retail sale or for being sold directly to HRI (hotel, restaurants and institutions), shall be described as "Tenderized (name of the meat product)". The enzyme(s) that was used does not need to be part of the name of the product but must appear in the list of ingredients.

Meat products which are tenderized with a proteolytic enzyme and are being packaged in bulk containers shall be described as "(name of the meat product) tenderized with (naming the proteolytic enzyme or enzymes)". The enzyme that was used also must appear in the list of ingredients on the bulk container.

When a flavour is added to a meat product, it is not necessary to reflect this in the product's description (i.e. the product's name). However, flavours shall be shown in the list of ingredients as "flavour" or "artificial flavour", as applicable. Generally, all the components of flavours need not be declared in the list of ingredients but certain exceptions apply (for more detail see section 7.6.3(a) of this chapter). The added flavour preparation(s) (i.e. actual flavouring agents and carrier agent(s)) shall not exceed 1% of the total product by weight.

Common name descriptions of well known types of sausages do not require the word "sausage" as part of the common name description. All other sausages, no matter under what name they are marketed, must have the word "sausage" added as part of the name of the product.

(f) Labelling of dressed chicken/duck carcasses and portions containing kidneys

All dressed chicken and/or duck carcasses and cut-up chicken and/or duck portions containing kidneys, when packaged for sale, must be labelled with "may contain kidneys" and "peut contenir des reins". These declarations on breast tags, bags, packages and any other retail or bulk container constitute part of the product description and shall be shown as part of it on the main panel. The declarations shall have a minimum type height lettering of 1.6 mm.

Before using a coined name, manufacturers should verify if it is not a registered trademark in Canada.

More and more meat processing plants are engaged in the production of finger foods. Names most commonly used include: fingers, nuggets, sticks and strips. Since there are quite a few different types of products involved, what follows is an attempt at classifying those types of products.

Products which are made from a solid piece of meat may use such terms as "Nuggets, Fingers, etc." as part of the product name without further qualifications e.g. "Chicken Nuggets".

Products made from chopped and formed meat may use such terms as "Nuggets, Fingers, etc." as part of the product name provided a qualifying statement describing such process is shown contiguous to the product name, e.g. "Chicken Nuggets, chopped and formed".

Products made from chopped meat and containing fillers may be described as "Nuggets, Fingers, etc." provided a descriptive name immediately follows e.g. "Nugget Shaped Chicken Burgers", otherwise, the product name must fully describe the product.
N.B. Breaded products described in the paragraphs above shall be labelled as "Breaded".

(h) Meat product labels with claims that are unsubstantiated or unverifiable by inspectors

Labels containing statements referring to production methods for the live animals. An example of this type of statement is: "Hormone Free".

It is not permitted to show such statements on the label of a meat product. Labels containing statements such as these will not be registered at the present time.

N.B. Labels bearing a claim in regard to the term organic may be registered. All labels bearing such a claim must be registered by the Process and Recipe (Labels) Unit of the Agri-Food Safety and Strategies Division that will determine if the claim can be substantiated. (See 7.5.1)

All ingredients of a meat product shall be listed in descending order of their presence. This will reflect the relative proportion of the ingredients before they are combined to form the meat product. Water and smoke are considered as ingredients and shall be listed as such.

Components of ingredients such as spice mixtures, seasoning and flavouring preparations shall be shown on the label as prescribed under sections B.01.008, B.01.009 and B.01.010 of the Food and Drug Regulations (See Annex J of this chapter for more details). In general all the components of these mixtures and preparations need not be declared in the list of ingredients. However when the mixture or preparation contains one or more of the following ingredients or components, those ingredients or components shall be shown by their common names in the list of ingredients of the meat product as if they were ingredients of that product:

f) peanut oil; hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated peanut oil; modified peanut oil.

g) any ingredient or component that performs a function in, or has any effect on, that meat product.

Examples: If a preservative is present in a flavouring preparation in such an amount as to have a preservative function in the meat product to which the flavouring preparation has been added, the preservative must be declared in the list of ingredients of that meat product. Similarly, soy, wheat, milk proteins, etc. are often added to seasoning or flavouring preparations to increase their dispersibility. Since these added substances also perform other functions in the final product, including solubility, gelation, emulsification, viscosity, etc., they must be declared in the list of ingredients of the final product to which the seasoning or flavouring preparations have been added, regardless of the amount present [section B.01.009 (3), FDR].

Declaration of ingredients with allergenic properties or causing serious adverse reactions:

More and more incidents of allergic and sensitivity reactions to both domestic and imported foods are being reported to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). A variety of foods contain ingredients that can cause adverse reactions in hypersensitive individuals. These reactions can vary from minor to life-threatening. Most adverse food reactions are caused by the following foods and their derivatives:

If these ingredients or their derivatives are not correctly identified on the label of a food the results can be serious and sometimes fatal.

Manufacturers, importers and distributors are responsible to ensure that their products are safe and meet the labelling requirements of the legislation. Therefore, the CFIA urges them to ensure that the above foods and their derivatives are included in the list of ingredients on the labels of meat products when they are present as ingredients or components. Manufacturers should pay special attention to ingredients that are added through the use of mixtures and preparations (e.g. flavouring and seasoning preparations). Also, it has been demonstrated that "highly refined edible oils" are virtually devoid of proteinaceous material and, hence, it is generally agreed that such highly refined oils are unlikely to cause food allergies. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer, distributor or importer to demonstrate that the highly refined oils in their products do not contain proteins.

To further assist consumers in making safe food choices, the CFIA encourages manufacturers, importers and distributors to identify the plant source of ingredients, such as hydrolyzed plant proteins, starches, modified starches and lecithin (e.g. hydrolyzed soy protein, wheat starch, modified wheat starch, soy lecithin).

In variable formulation all meat product ingredients shall be grouped together and placed in the appropriate position in the ingredient listing and be segregated from non-meat ingredients by a semi-colon (;) or a dash (-). If meat product ingredients are fixed as to inclusion and order, segregate each meat product ingredient by a comma (,).

If the meat portion varies as to inclusion or order, then it may read: "Beef, Pork and/or Mutton". If all meat product ingredients are interchangeable, then it may read: "Beef and/or Pork and/or Mutton". Designations of species should appear, in the case of variable formulation, in either of the following formats:

(i) ingredients: may contain beef, pork, mutton and their by-products;
(ii) ingredients: beef and/or pork and/or mutton and/or their by-products;

A filler may be listed as an ingredient, followed by a listing of all the components between parenthesis, e.g., filler (flour, skim milk powder, etc.), or the components making up the filler may be listed individually as ingredients. Additives such as antioxidants BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) may be abbreviated, but a flavour enhancer, such as monosodium glutamate shall be spelled out in full, in the ingredient listing.

Toasted Wheat Crumb may be listed as an ingredient. Toasted Wheat Crumb is a food made by cooking a dough prepared with flour and water, which may be unleavened, or chemically or yeast leavened, and which otherwise complies with the standard described in B13.021 and B13.022 of the Food & Drug Regulations. The components of this ingredient do not have to be declared in the ingredient listing when it is added to a meat product.

The declaration of ingredients of cured meat products, such as ham and bacon, shall be shown as follows on the label:

(c) Requirements for products where mechanically separated meats have been used

The declaration of ingredients for products where mechanically separated meats have been used shall be shown as follows on the label:

As per the Meat Inspection Regulations, Section 120, and this chapter, the testing of different ingredients is permitted as per the variable formulation, for a period of 12 months, using the and/or concept in the ingredient list.

It is fully understood that all prepared meat products formulation, method of preparation (recipes) and labels must be registered in Ottawa by the Agri-Food Safety and Strategies Division, Process and Recipe (Labels) Unit, prior to production, as per the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990, Section 110.

To be competitive in today's marketplace, the industry must adapt rapidly to changes. In that respect, changes to the formulation of a meat product may be required on very short notice. However, label inventory and the time needed to process a new label registration may sometimes mean the loss of a business opportunity.

Therefore, in those instances where one or more ingredients must be added, omitted or substituted to meet demands, the Processed and Recipe (Labels) Section could grant temporary label registration for meat products already registered. This will enable the operator to use a new formulation without changing the existing label. To ensure uniform application of this policy, a request (by facsimile) to obtain this special permission in urgent situations must be submitted to Ottawa Headquarters, Agri-Food Safety and Strategies Division, Process and Recipe (Labels) Unit. For example, the following would be permitted:

Smoke and smoke flavour are ingredients and must be listed accordingly. The following designation shall be used depending on how these ingredients were added to the meat product:

The use of edible wrappings (e.g. collagen or carrageenan) in the preparation of meat products other than sausages must be declared at the end of the ingredient list. For example, the declaration "wrapped in carrageenan", "coated with carrageenan" or "wrapped in collagen" shall appear at the end of the ingredient list of hams wrapped in such material.

(g) Requirements for solid meat cuts to which meat particles have been injected with the brine

When a whole muscle cut has been injected with ground or emulsified meat particles ( trimmings) in a proportion that is up to 15% of the fresh weight (green weight) of the meat at formulation, the label of the product does not need to indicate the presence of the trimmings. The calculation is done according to the following formula:

Ground /emulsified trimmings
meat cuts before injection + ground /emulsified trimmings

X 100 = % added

For example:

15 kg of trimmings
85 kg of cuts + 15 kg of ground / emulsified trimmings

X 100 = 15% added

When a whole muscle cut has been injected with ground or emulsified meat particles ( trimmings) in a proportion that exceeds 15% of the fresh weight of the total meat content (green weight) at formulation, the ingredients list of the product’s label needs to indicate the presence of the ground meat (pork, beef or poultry). For example, "A proportion of ground ham added" or "Ground and emulsified beef trimmings added" or "Ground and emulsified poultry trimmings added" or an equivalent statement shall appear in the list of ingredients.

Either the complete name and address of the firm that prepares the meat product, or, preceded by the words "prepared for", the name and address of the firm for whom the meat product is produced or labelled, shall appear on the label of meat products.

Foreign firms shall include the name of the country in the address, while firms in Canada may indicate either the province or Canada. Multi-establishment firms may show the address of the head office instead of the address of the establishment preparing the meat product.

If the address shown is the address of a person for whom the meat product was prepared, then the name and address shall be preceded by the words "prepared for".

Poultry carcasses packaged in a registered establishment for another registered establishment, may bear the name and address of the receiving establishment. Hence the receiving establishment may send its bags to the packaging establishment without any label change. The establishment number on the closure clip shall be the number of the establishment packaging the carcasses. The words "prepared for" are no longer required in this instance.

The Meat Inspection Legend is a national trade-mark. Subject to the Meat Inspection Act, it is the exclusive property of the Government of Canada and may only be used as authorized by the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990.

All labels used in connection with edible meat products produced in a registered establishment must include the Meat Inspection Legend, with the exception of labels of bulk containers of fully marked prepackaged meat products.

The Meat Inspection Legend, when placed on a label, shall have no transverse measurement through the centre of the legend of less than 12.5 mm and, where stamped or branded directly on a meat product, shall have no transverse measurement through the centre of the legend of less than 25 mm.

When the Meat Inspection Legend is applied to a natural casing it shall be legible. It is not practical to stamp sausages enclosed in natural casings that have a diameter of less than 5 cm.

In the case of sausages which are enclosed in natural casings and subsequently packaged in a fully marked container for retail sale (bearing all mandatory information), the stamping of individual casings is optional.

When wieners are sold "skin-on" in artificial casings, all mandatory information must be printed on the casings. In view of the small size of the sausage, it is permitted to spread the information over three consecutive wieners.

To satisfy stamping requirements, the Meat Inspection Legend shall be applied to an edible dressed carcass or portions derived thereof and to edible organs.

The Meat Inspection Legend contains the registration number of the establishment producing the meat product. However, it may be applied without the registration number where the meat product is packaged in:

(i) a hermetically sealed container that is labelled as prescribed in paragraph 60(d) of the Meat Inspection Regulations;

(ii) a casing or bag closed by a metal clip, if the registration number is legibly engraved on the metal clip and is visible when the clip is closed, and is preceded by the abbreviation "EST"; or

(iii) a cardboard container, a corrugated fibreboard container, a bulk container or a plastic container, if the registration number is clearly marked elsewhere on the principal display panel, and is preceded by the abbreviation "EST".

(b) Use of a code on hermetically sealed containers to identify the establishment

Codes may be used on hermetically sealed containers to identify the registration number, the meat product and the date of production.

The use of a code in replacement of the registration number is permitted provided the code is placed in front of the production codes (i.e. meat product, date) and is followed by either a hyphen (-), an oblique (/) or a space clearly distinguishing the establishment code from the production code. If desired, the establishment code may be placed on a separate line, above the production code. If the registration number is used, the same conditions apply.

	Est. code Production code		Reg. no. Production code
1.	Z-232W3OXQ	or	999-232W3OXQ
2.	Z/232W3OXQ	or	999/232W3OXQ
3.	Z 232W3OXQ	or	999 232W3OXQ
4.	Z 232W3 OXQ	or	999 232W3 OXQ

All operators wanting to use a code instead of the establishment registration number must provide the meaning of the code to the Registrar, Food of Animal Origin Division, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0Y9 for subsequent registration and distribution to all regional offices.

All consumer and bulk containers used in connection with edible meat products in a registered establishment shall be labelled with storage instructions unless the meat contained therein is one of the following shelf-stable types:

(a) commercially sterile meat products in cans, jars, or pouches (excluding pasteurised products);

(e) fermented meat products that have a pH level of 5.3 or less and an Aw of 0.90 or less. It is understood that the pH of 5.3 or less is achieved at the end of the fermentation period in respect of the appropriate degree/hours, as specified in Section 4.10.3(14), Chapter 4 of this Manual;

(f) meat products for which the operator submitted to the Director, Food of Animal Origin Division, a quality control program and supporting data demonstrating that the process is validated to produce safe products and to ensure shelf stability.

All edible meat products, not considered as shelf stable, prepared in a registered establishment shall be labelled with storage instructions which consist of one of the following statements: "Keep refrigerated" or "Keep frozen", whichever is applicable. Storage instructions may be in the check-off form on labels of all containers (prepackaged products) or shipping containers, with the appropriate instruction checked off. The storage instructions shall be shown on the principal display panel.

For certain types of institutional products, the following will also be acceptable: "Keep refrigerated if used before (date) or freeze immediately".

The words "Best Before" and "Meilleur avant" followed by the durable life date must appear on the label of a prepackaged meat product where the durable life of the meat product is 90 days or less, as prescribed in B.01.007 of the Food and Drug Regulations and in Section 94 of the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990.

All meat products shall be labelled with the production date or with a code identifying the production lot.

This code or date of production must appear on the immediate container of prepackaged meat products or on a tag attached to it. For a rapid identification of the product in the case of a recall procedure, it is recommended to add this code/date of production on the shipping containers of the prepackaged meat products. This information must also appear on the bulk containers of meat products. It is possible to use the durable life date statement (see 7.6.7) as an identification code of production.

The amount of water added and retained in raw-single ingredient meat products due to post-evisceration contact with water, in excess of naturally occurring moisture (refer to Ch. 4, sub section 4.10.1 of this manual), must be declared as part of the product name on the principal display panel of prepackaged products or on shipping containers for non prepackaged product. Raw single-ingredient meat products include e.g. dressed carcasses, parts of dressed carcasses, offal and giblets.

Retained water may be rounded off to the nearest whole number. Retained water below 0.5% need not be declared. The permitted labelling variation is a maximum of 20 percent above the declared amount within the retained water statement.

Operators may include a no-retained-water statement on the label (optional) when no water added due to post-evisceration processing has been retained by the raw single-ingredient meat product.

Amended labels to add the moisture declaration statement may be approved locally by the Veterinarian or Inspector-in-Charge in consultation with area meat hygiene program officers. The following four phrases are permitted:

A submission to support a similar claim must be submitted by the operator to the veterinarian or inspector-in-charge for evaluation by the area meat hygiene program labelling specialist before it is used.

A claim such as "no water added" is not permitted since it is misleading under section 5 of the Food and Drug Act.

The moisture declaration must be part of the product description, shall be conspicuous and shall be not less than half of the product’s common name or half of any additional mandatory information (eg: "with giblets").

Packages containing a variety of raw single-ingredient meat products e.g. giblets, may be labelled by either;

b. a single declaration which indicates the maximum water retained by the components.

Dressed poultry carcasses and parts from dressed poultry carcasses, including detached necks and salvaged portions, are exempt from the requirements of this sub section pending amendments to section 25 (which sets standards for water retention in poultry carcasses) of the Meat Inspection Regulations. However, poultry carcases containing giblets e.g. frozen turkeys, do require a retained water declaration as part of the product name for the giblets.

Ground meat including finely textured meat (FTM) and mechanically separated meat (MSM):

Ingredients used in the preparation of red meat species ground meat, FTM, or MSM, (e.g., as applicable, bone-in cuts, trimmings, head meat, hearts, tongues) which absorb and retain any water are nor permitted to be used in the preparation of red meat species ground meat, FTM or MSM. At this time, according to Canadian regulations, water cannot be added to these red meat species products.

Only water absorbed and retained as part of the Kosher process may be excluded from the retained water declaration provided that the product description contains the phrase "soaked and salted" or a similar phrase (refer to sub sec. 7.5.1 of this chapter). The operator shall supply the veterinarian-in-charge with a letter, signed by a Rabbi serving the establishment, which clearly indicates which processing steps are part of the Kosher process.

Any retained water in raw single-ingredient meat products, used as ingredients, need not be declared on the labelling of prepared (including multi-ingredient) meat products, e.g. raw or cooked sausage, pre-basted turkeys, or deli meats. However, such meat products must comply with applicable standards of identity or composition requirements for the specific prepared meat product as contained in Meat Inspection Regulations, the Food and Drug Regulations or this manual.

Chapter 7 - Packaging and labelling