December Veal Blog
Promotions
On Beef and Veal Day (January 9th) at the 103rd Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, PA, the Checkoff-funded veal promotion program will support the Pennsylvania Beef Council with recipe cards, cutting mats, surveys and more.
The recipe card will feature the Mediterranean Grilled Veal Salad. For the complete recipe and video visit vealmadeeasy.
Veal Quality Assurance
New Program Updates Coming in 2019! Watch for updates in 2019 for the Veal Quality Assurance Program and Industry Image. There will be a Train-the-Trainer webinar for all those engaged in the Veal Quality Assurance program and its certification efforts with veal growers. The website VealFarm will also get a refresh with updated content, photography and video. What would you like to see enhanced on the website? Your input is welcomed! Later in 2019, a veal farm tour for influencers will be held. State Beef Councils and industry representatives are invited to collaborate on this event. Contact program manager, Donna Moenning at Look East with your input: DonnaM@LookEast.com
Regulatory Affairs
USDA, FDA Call for Joint Regulation of Cell-Cultured Meat. USDA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) intend to jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry, according to an announcement by Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. The announcement follows last month’s USDA,FDA public meeting regarding the use of cell-culture technology to develop products derived from livestock and poultry. At that meeting, the Meat Institute, contractor to the Beef Checkoff, affirmed the Food Safety and Inspection Service should have primary jurisdiction to regulate cell-based meat products.
According to the announcement, USDA and FDA agreed on a joint regulatory framework wherein FDA oversees cell collection, cell banks and cell growth and differentiation. A transition from FDA to USDA oversight will occur during the cell harvest stage. USDA will then oversee the production and labeling of food products derived from the cells of livestock and poultry.
In response to the announcement, the Meat Institute said, “We’re pleased the agencies have initiated the steps to work together on regulating cell-based meat products and appreciate the work that USDA Secretary Perdue has put in to ensure USDA’s role in regulating these new products. We look forward to seeing more details on how these plans will be implemented and participating in that process.”
Perdue and Gottlieb also stated the Administration does not believe legislation on this topic is necessary because USDA and FDA have the statutory authority to appropriately regulate cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry. USDA and FDA extended the public comment period to December 26,2018.
FDA Issues Two Guidance Documents on NutritionFacts Label Issues. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week issued one final and one draft guidance on topics related to two final rules updating the Nutrition Facts label. The final guidance, “Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels: Questions and Answers Related to the Compliance Date, Added Sugars, and Declaration of Quantitative Amounts of Vitamins and Minerals: Guidance for Industry,” presents questions and answers to help manufacturers determine how to calculate added sugars in their products under certain circumstances. Other topics addressed include compliance, label formats and declaration of quantitative amounts of vitamins and minerals.
The draft guidance, “Food Labeling: Serving Sizes of Foods That Can Reasonably Be Consumed At One Eating Occasion, Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed, Serving Size-Related Issues, Dual-Column Labeling, and Miscellaneous Topics: Guidance for Industry,” covers the definition of a single-serving container, dual-column labeling and reference amounts customarily consumed, among other topics. FDA is accepting public comments on the draft guidance for 60 days.
Meetings, Events and Education
NAMI to Host Meat Pavilion at NGA Show. The North American Meat Institute, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, will host a Meat Pavilion as part of the 2019 National Grocers Association (NGA) Show, February 24-27, 2019, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. The 2019 NGA Show convenes independent retailers, wholesalers, food retail industry executives and food manufacturers to highlight cutting-edge tools, marketplace trends and best practices facing the independent grocery industry. For additional information or to exhibit in the pavilion, contact Director of Conference Services and Sponsorships RobinTroy at RTroy@meatinstitute.org or 202/587-4242.
