The US Department of Agriculture's FSIS has updated its guidance for calculating retained water in meat and poultry products. The “Revised Guideline for Controlling Retained Water in Raw Meat and Poultry” will publish in the Federal Register on April 1, 2024.

The guideline provides formulas and examples for calculating retained water in products and recommendations to ensure the retained water protocol provides accurate data for labeling determinations. FSIS encourages meat and poultry establishments to review the guidance and revise protocols accordingly, if necessary. Establishments will have until September 30, 2024, to submit their revised protocols to the Risk Management and Innovations Staff via askFSIS for review. Establishments will have until April 1, 2025, to make any necessary label changes.

Establishments may reach out via askFSIS (select New Technology as the Inquiry Type) if there are questions about the guidance or if they are unsure if a revised protocol is needed. FSIS invites interested persons to submit comments on this guideline on or before May 31, 2024. Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: This website provides the ability to type short comments directly into the comment field on the web page or attach a file for lengthier comments. Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting comments.
• Mail: Send to Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., Mailstop 3758, Washington, DC 20250-3700.
• Hand- or courier-delivered submittals: Deliver to 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Jamie L. Whitten Building, Room 350-E, Washington, DC 20250-3700. Instructions:

All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the agency name and docket number FSIS-2022-0014.

For more information, please view the Federal Register notice.

Source: USDA FSIS