381.169—Ready-to-cook poultry products to which solutions are added.
(a)
Butter alone, or solutions of poultry broth, poultry stock, water, or edible fats, or mixtures thereof, in which are included functional substances such as spices, flavor enhancers, emulsifiers, phosphates, coloring materials, or other substances, approved by the Administrator in specific cases, may be introduced by injection into the thick muscles (breast and legs) of ready-to-cook poultry carcasses and may be introduced by injection or marinating into any separate bone-in part therefrom, for the purpose of providing a basting medium or similar function. The ingredients of the added materials and the manner of addition to the products must be found acceptable by the Administrator, in all cases. The introduction of the added materials shall increase the weight of the processed product by approximately 3 percent over the weight of the raw product after washing and chilling in compliance with § 381.66. The weight of the added materials introduced into the poultry products as provided in this paragraph shall be included as part of the weight of the poultry for purposes of the net weight labeling provisions in § 381.121(b).
(b)
A raw poultry product, into which added materials are introduced as provided in paragraph (a) of this section must be labeled with a conspicuous, legible, and descriptive name, including terms that concisely describe the method of addition and function of the added material. All major terms in the product name must be printed with the same prominence, except that the words which describe the function of the added materials (such as “Injected for Flavored Basting”) may be more prominent, provided this does not detract from the conspicuousness of the other terms in the product name (such as “Young Turkey”). The label must also bear a statement, in bold type, immediately below and adjacent to the product name, listing the common or usual names of the added materials in descending order of predominance. The first part of this statement must consist of terms adequate to inform consumers about the amount and manner of introduction of the solution (such as “Injected with approximately 3 percent of a solution of _____”), and must be printed at least one-fourth the size of the most prominent letter in the product name, with a minimum size of one-fourth inch for a ready-to-cook turkey and proportionately smaller for other poultry products. The remainder of the solution ingredients shall be declared in type at least one-eighth inch in height. The entire statement must be printed in a color that contrasts with the background and be displayed on the principal display panel.
(c)
Approval for use of a label for product under this section depends upon the ability of the processor to control the finished product, within a range of three-tenths of 1 percent accuracy, so that the average percent of basting material in each outgoing lot is not greater than 3.3 percent or less than 2.7 percent of basting material when tested by an approved plant control procedure would be in compliance. As used in this section, “a lot” may be any reasonable portion of production designated by the operator of the official establishment, with a maximum of an entire shift's production from one production line. The control procedures to be eligible for approval by the Administrator must:
(2)
Control the variability of the amount of added approved solution within the limits defined above.
(3)
Provide for the disposition in accordance with the regulations of all products not in compliance with this section.
(4)
Incorporate a system of raw weight identification of a sufficient number of poultry and/or poultry parts to allow effective monitoring of the system by Federal inspectors and official establishment employees.