Federal food standards

/6


FEDERAL


FOOD


STANDARD


All o
getting
can be


ver


the United States,


essentially the


sure


it's


same


if you buy mayonna
product. And if yo


the same quality.


, you


The various kinds


of food


standards


set by the


make


this


possible.


Just


as Federal


standards


for weights


and measures


established by


the Na-


tional


Bureau


distance are


of Standards define


same


fran coast


w long
coast),


a foot


so measurements


standards


identity


set by the


Food and Drug Administration define


what


certain food


products


are,


Department


of Agriculture grade


standards


define


levels


of quality


var-


ious


foods.


FDA food standards
products must meet t


of identity


are


regulatory.


o be legally manufactured,


They


shipped,


set requirements which
or sold. They pro-


tect against


of to


deception,


be legally


labeled


because


they


define


"mayonnaise,


" for


what a


food


product must


cons


example.


USDA grade


standards


for food


are voluntary.


Federal


does


not require


that a


food


processor


or distributor use


the grade


standards.


The standards


widely used,


however,


as an aid


in wholesale


trading,


because


the quality


of a


product


affects


price.


The grade


(quality


level)


also


often


shown on food products


in retail


stores,


so consumers


can choose


the grade


that


best


fits


their needs.


food standards


established by the


Federal


Government


fall


into


these


two general


classes


--volunt


or regulatory.


Here


Federal


is a brief
standards


listing
for food


of the principal kinds


of voluntary


regulatory


VOLUNTARY STANDARDS


DEPARTMENT OF


AGRICULTURE


GRADE STANDARDS


Under


authority


of the Agricultural Marketing Act


of 1946 and related


stat-


utes,


USDA has


issued grade


standards


sanme


300 food and


farm products


Food products
veal and calf,


goose, i
Cheddar


guinea,
cheese,


for which grade
lamb and mutton;


squab;


and instant


eggs;


standards
poultry,


have


been established


including turkey,


manufactured dairy products


nonfat


dry milk;


fresh fruits,


are:


chicken, du
, including
vegetables,


beef,


ack,
butter,
and


nuts;


canned,


frozen,


and dried fruits and


vegetables and related products


such


as preserves;


and rice,


beans,


peas.


U.S.


grade


standards are also


available


for grains,


but not for the food


products,


such as


flour


or cerea


are


U .S






grading


USDA pro
depa rtment
or others


servi


ces,


for a fee, to
certification


grade


used by


control

Feder


e use of the


cial
local


cial


grading


often in


packers, pro
of the grade
ckers and pro


U.S. grade s
is required u


cooperation with State


cessors,


distributors,


a product.


cessors


standards


under


some


as a quality


or the offi-


State


industry marketing programs.


Products whi


or grade


shield,


such as


n officially
the familiar


graded may


purple


carry the


"USDA


Cho~i'c


USDA


shield


grade


name


seen


cuts


of beef


however,


or the


'PT.S


is not required by


Grade A"


Federal


on cartons


law,


even


eggs.


though a


Grade


product


labeling,
has been


cially
product
prefix)


graded.
with an


unless


On the other


official


grade


hand,


name


it actually measures


a packer


such


or processor may


as Grade


to the Federal


even


not label


without


standard


"TJ. S


for that


grade
Drug,


. Mislabeling


of this


sort would


be deemed a


violation


of the Food,


and Cosmetics Act.


NATIONAL MARINE


FISHERIES SERVICE


GRADE STANDARDS


U.S.


Department


provides grade


to those


have


standards


provided


been developed


of Canmerce'


and grading
for other


USDA


for frozen


National


services


foods.


cessed


Marine


Fisheries


for fishery


To date,


fishery


15 U.S


products,


products


grade


covering


Service
similar


standards
such


products


as semi-processed


raw whole


fish,


fish blocks,


cut fish


portions,


steaks


headless


fillets;
d breaded


breaded
shrimp;


raw and
raw and


precooked


fried


fish


scallops.


portions and


Such


sticks;


raw


products when


produced and graded


may


carry


the USDC


under


the U.S.


"Federally


Department


of Commerce


Inspected" mark and/or


the U


inspection
.S. grade


* program
shield.


However, a
by Federal


s under
law, e


the USDA


ven


though


grading programs, grade
products are officially


labeling


is not required


inspected and graded


REGULATORY STANDARDS


I. U.S


. DEPARTMENT OF


AGRICULTURE STANDARDS


OF COMPOSITION AND


IDENTITY


USDA


established minimum


content


requirement s


for Federally


inspected


meat


poultry


products


(usually


canned


or frozen)


under


the Federal Meat


Inspection Act


the Poultry


Products


Inspection Act.


To be labeled


with a


particular name--such as


"Beef Stew"


--a Federally


spected meat


or poultry


product


must meet


spec


ified


content


requirements.


These


requi rement s


assure


consumer


that


he's getting what


the label


says


getting.


They


do not,


however,


keep different


companies


from making


distinctive


specifies


recipes.


the minimum


The USDA minimum content


percentage


of beef only


It doesn't keep


requirement
25 percent)
frca using


for beef


that


stew


the stew


combinations


seas


offi-







USDA has also established


complete


standards


of identity


for these


products:


chopped ham,


corned beef


hash,


olecanarga r i ne.


They


further


than


composition standards,


setting


specific


optional


ingredients.


FOOD AND


DRUG ADMINISTRATION STANDARDS


The Federal


ulatory


stand


of identity,


Food, Drug, and
rds for products


standards


Cosmetic Act


being


of minimum qua


provides


for three


shipped across State
lity, and standards


kinds


lines:
of fill


reg-


standards
of container.


these


standards are administered by the


Food and Drug Administration


the U.S.
penalties


Department


of Health,


Education,


Welfare.


The law sets


forth


for noncanpliance.


STANDARDS OF
FDA standards


IDENTITY


of identity


like


USDA'


establish what


a given food


product


is--for
standard


tion
dards


example,


what a


of identity al


to the mandatory


of identity


have


food must
so provide


ingredient s


be to be labeled


for use
that make


eliminated frca


of optional


"preserves.


ingredients


the product what


the market


such


things


" The FDA


in addi-
Stan-


it is.


as "raspberry


spread"
ficial


--made


fran a


little


coloring and flavoring,


fruit and a


and a


lot of water,


grass


seeds


pectin,


to suggest


sugar,


arti-


a fruit


pro-


duct.


FDA has standards


eluding meat


of identity


poultry


product s


for a large


which are


number o
covered


food


products


(ex-


USDA).


'iyrpes


of products


for which standards


of identity


have


been formulated


FDA include:


and noodle


cacao


products;


products;


bakery


cereal


products;


flour


milk and


related


cream


products;


products;


chees


macaroni
:e and


cheese


products;


fruits and


fruit


frozen desserts;


juices;


fruit


food


butters,


flavoring;
jellies,


dressings
preserves,


for food;


related


canned


pro-


ducts;


products;


non-alcoholic


oleomargarine


beverages;


canned and frozen shellfish;


and margarine;


nut products;


canned


eggs ana e
vegetables;


tomato


products.


MINIMUM STANDARDS


OF QUALITY


FDA standards


of quality


vegetables to supplement


have


been


standards


set for a number


of identity


These


of canned fruits and
are minimum stan-


dards


for such factors


as tenderne


ss, color,


and freedom from defects.


They


regulatory,


as opposed


to USDA


grade


standards


of quality,


which are


voluntary use.


If a food does
"Below Standard
substituted for


the product
Excessively


not meet the FDA quality
in Quality; Good Food--Not


the second


is substandard.


Broken"


part


of that


The label


standards it must
High Grade." Or,


statement
could read,


or "Below Standard in Quality;


be labeled
words may


to show in what


respect


"Below Standard in Quality;


Excessive


Peel.


" The


consumer


seldom if


ever


sees


a product with a


substandard label.


are







(When


USDA


grade


standards


has a minimum standard


level
dards
Grade


USDA sets
for canned


are developed


of quality,


are at least


tomatoes


is comparable


STANDARDS OF


to FDA'


as high


for example,


for a product


requirements


as the FDA minimum.


are


U.S.


minimum standard


for which FDA


for the lowest


USDA grade
B, and C.


Grades A,


rade
stan-
U.S.


of quality.)


FILL OF CONTAINER


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These
deceptio


standards
n. They


tell t
prevent


he packer ho'
the selling


full
of air


a container must


or water


in place


to avoid
of food.


PUBLIC


HEALTH SERVICE


FOOD STANDARDS


Under


mulated


the Public


food


of the U.S.


Health


standards
Department


Service Act,


to help


fight


of Health,


the Publi


infectious di


Education,


Health Service


seases.


Welfare,


PH13,


advises


has for-
an agency


State


and local


governments


on safety


standards


for milk and milk products,


drinking water,
for the safety


shellfish,


scme


and wholesomeness


other


of foods


foods.


PI~ also


and drinking water


has standards


aboard all


interstate


passenger


carriers.


The most


USDA
milk


quality


familiar


grade


is largely


PIE standard


standards


a standard


is for "Grade A" milk.


food,


the PBI


standard


In contrast
for "Grade A"


of wholesomeness.


To promote


uniform and


effective


controls,


PH3 developed a Milk Ordinance


which now


serves


as the basis of Grade A milk


sanitation laws


in many States.


provisions may


be adopted


voluntarily--in whole


or in part-


-by States.


Under


the Ordinance,


procedures


for inspection of milk and milk


products


used


to determine


whether milk


"Grade A.


["USDA Standards


for Food and Farm Products"


AH-341)


lists


USDA


grade


standards and


tells


how to


obtain


them


a copy


of AH-341


write


to Office


of Information,


U.S.


Department


of Agriculture,


Washington,


D.C.


20250.]


are