complianceguidelinesforrtemeatandpoultry-USDAFood.doc

DRAFT COMPLIANCE GUIDELINES FOR READY-TO-EAT MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS On February 27, 2001, FSIS published a proposed rule ``Performance Standards for the Production of Processed Meat and Poultry Products (66 FR 12590). The proposed regulations include lethality and stabilization performance standards, Listeria testing requirements, and the rescission of requirements regarding trichina in pork products. To assist establishments in understanding these requirements, FSIS is issuing draft compliance guidelines. FSIS requests comment on these guidelines. These guidelines are based on previous Agency regulations, published scientific, challenge studies and other procedures validated to achieve the performance standards. Covered RTE products include cooked, fermented, salt-cured and dried meat and poultry products. Except for thermally-processed, commercially-sterile products, the performance standards for lethality for all ready-to-eat (RTE) products require a 6.5 log10 reduction of Salmonella throughout finished meat products and a 7.0 log10 reduction of Salmonella throughout finished products that contain poultry. In addition, RTE fermented products that contain beef are required to have 5 log10 reduction of E. coli O157:H7 throughout. Except for thermally-processed, commercially-sterile products, the performance standards for stabilization require no growth of Clostridium botulinum and no more than 1 log10 growth Clostridium perfringens throughout all RTE meat and poultry products. Compliance Guidelines For Meeting Lethality Performance Standards For Cooked Ready-to-eat Meat and Poultry Products With the 1999 final rule, “Performance Standards for the Production of Certain Meat and Poultry Products” (, 64 FR 732 ), applicable to cooked beef, roast beef, chunked and formed roasts, corned beef and poultry products, the Agency included compliance guidelines for lethality (Appendix A of the final rule). These compliance guidelines include times and tem