Labeling Prominence Guidelines for Cured, Cooked Products with Added Substances That Do Not Return To Green Weight

The cured, cooked products covered by sections 9 CFR 319.100 ("corned beef"), 319.101 ("corned beef brisket"), 319.102 ("corned beef round and other corned beef cuts"), and 319.104(a)("cured pork products" under PFF) of the Federal meat inspection regulations; and by Policy Memos 057A ("Labeling Turkey Ham Products Containing Added Water") and 084A ("Cooked Corned Beef Products and Cured Pork Products with Added Substances"), whose weights after cooking exceed the weight of the fresh uncured article, shall bear the product name and qualifying statements on the principal display panel using the following guidelines:

(1) The product name and the qualifying statements must be prominent and conspicuous.

(2) The label will bear the product name on the principal display panel in lettering NOT LESS THAN one-third the size of the largest letter in terms commonly associated with the product name, e.g., cooked, boneless, chopped, pressed, smoked, or words which could be a part of the product name, e.g., steak, butt portion, shank portion.

(3) The product name will be judged prominent if the lettering is of the same style and color, and on the same color background as that which is used for the terms commonly associated with the product name or words which could be a part of the product name (see guidelines (2)). If other styles, colors, and/or backgrounds are used, the prominence must be judged equal to those terms and words which could be associated with or part of the product name.

(4) The product name must be distinct and separate from other label information. Thus, the product name should not be part of or embedded in qualifying phrases or descriptions that include a list of added solution ingredients.
Examples of acceptable terminology are "Corned Beef and Water Product" and "Cured Pork and X percent of a Solution."

(5) The label for the products covered by this policy memo must also bear qualifying statements that conform to established policies on the size of the lettering in these statements in relation to product name (as outlined in Policy Memo 087A, FSIS Directive 7110.2, and Policy Memo 057A).

See: Policy Memo 109 dated October 8, 1987