USDA Changes “Jerky” Definition

FOOD SAFETY NEWS – USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service has, after a three-year review, approved the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) petition requesting the deletion of the Moisture Protein Ratio (MPR) reference from the “Jerky” entry in the FSIS Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book.

The North American Meat Institute is now known simply as the Meat Institute, following various mergers. Its history dates back to 1946. The organization is based in Washington, D.C.

The MPR was historically used, instead of water activity, to determine the shelf stability of dried products. NAMI argued that because MPR is scientifically unsupported as a measure of shelf stability and has no role in determining food safety, its inclusion in the Policy Book is outdated and confusing because it may be mistakenly interpreted as a requirement for shelf stability.

What is Beef Jerky?

Beef jerky is a meat snack made of dried beef that is usually flavored with sugar, salt, and other seasonings. Beef jerky is made from dried strips of beef, or from ground beef that is shaped into jerky and dried. It can include a variety of seasonings to create different flavors, including popular flavors like teriyaki and peppered beef jerky. – topnotchjerky.com 

In support of its petition, NAMI cited the FSIS Compliance Guideline for Meat and Poultry Jerky Produced by Small and Very Small Establishments, which explains that the shelf stability and food safety depend on validated lethality and drying processes, together with controls for water activity (Aw).

NAMI emphasized that FSIS’s guidance does not reference MPR as relevant to shelf stability or food safety. NAMI further noted that FSIS has not promulgated a regulatory standard of identity for jerky, making the continued reference to the MPR in the Policy Book unnecessary.

“After careful consideration, FSIS has decided to grant your petition,” the approval letter to NAMI states.

“The Agency agrees that while jerky is a shelf-stable product, the MPR reference in the ‘Jerky’ entry is outdated and not necessary to ensure food safety. The Policy Book is intended to provide policy guidance and help with consistency in labeling decisions, not to establish regulatory requirements.”

“Outdated provisions, such as the reference to MPR in the jerky entry, are inconsistent with this purpose,” the Sept. 8 letter continues.

“Therefore, FSIS will remove the reference to MPR from the ‘Jerky’ entry in the Policy Book. In accordance with FSIS regulations. . .” NAMI submitted the petition on May 9, 2023.

In other developments involving FSIS petitions, a short statement from someone who opposes killing animals wrote to oppose the Aug. 21 petition requesting that FSIS either:

(1) define “Zabiha Halal” as hand-slaughtered without stunning, in accordance with widely accept standards; or

(2) require the use of “Zabiha Halal” to be certified by a third-party certifying organization that publishes their definition on a public website.

Additionally, the three-year-old Animal Partisan petition gained another individual supporter. That petition requests that FSIS issue a notice to convey that:

1) State government officials are not categorically preempted from enforcing state anti-cruelty laws by the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, or the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and

2) FSIS personnel should cooperate with state government officials in the enforcement of state anti-cruelty laws and improve clarity and frequency of communication (i.e., Letters of Concern (“LOC”)) to those officials.