Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 49 - PUBLIC HEALTH-FOOD, DRUGS, AND COSMETICS
Part I - Regulations
Chapter 9 - Meat and Meat Products Regulations
Section I-951 - Labels, False Impressions Prohibited [Formerly 49:3.1002]

1. Terms having geographical significance with reference to a locality other than that in which the product is prepared may appear on the label only when qualified by the word "style", "type", or "brand" as the case may be, in the same size and style of lettering as in the geographical term, and accompanied with a prominent qualifying statement identifying the country, state, territory, or locality in which the product is prepared, using terms appropriate to effect the qualification. When the word "style" or "type" is used, there must be a recognized style or type of meat or meat product identified with and peculiar to the locality represented by the geographical term and the meat product must possess the characteristics of such style or type; provided, that the terms which have come into general usage as trade names and have been so approved by the department or federal agency having jurisdiction may be used without the qualifications provided for in this paragraph. The terms "Frankfurter", "Vienna", "Bologna", "Braunshweiger", "Thuringer", " Genoa", and their modifications, as applied to sausages; the terms "Brunswick" and "Irish" as applied to stews; and the term "Boston" as applied to pork shoulder butts, are recognized as generic names and need not be accompanied with the word "style", "type", or "brand", or a statement identifying the locality in which prepared.

2. The word "ham" without any prefix indicating the species of animal from which derived, shall be used on labels only in connection with pork hams. Ham shanks as such or ham shank meat as such, or the trimmings accruing in the trimming and shaping of hams, shall not be labeled "ham" or "ham meat" without qualification. When used in connection with a chopped product the term "ham" or "ham meat" shall not include the skin.

3. The word "fresh" shall not be used on labels to designate any meat or meat product which contains any sodium or potassium nitrate, sodium or potassium nitrite, or any other preservative approved by the department, or which has been salted, pickled, or brined for preservation. Further, the use of sodium nitrite, potassium nitrite, sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate or any combination of nitrate or nitrite, shall not result in the presence of more than 200 p.p.m. nitrite in the finished product. Supplies of nitrates and nitrites and mixtures containing them, shall be kept securely under the care of a responsible employee of the establishment. The specific nitrate and nitrite content of such supplies must be known and clearly marked accordingly.

4. Such terms as "meat extract", or "extract of beef", without qualification, shall not be used on labels in connection with products prepared from organs or parts of carcasses other than fresh meat. Extracts prepared from any parts of the carcass other than fresh meat shall not be labeled "meat extract" but may be labeled with the true name of the parts from which prepared. In the case of extract in the fluid form, the word "fluid" shall also appear on the label, as, for example, "fluid extract of beef".

5. Such terms as "farm", "country", and the like shall not be used on labels in connection with meat and meat products unless such meat or meat products are actually prepared on the farm or in the country. However, if the articles are prepared in the same way as on the farm or in the country, these terms, if qualified by the word "style," in the same size and style of lettering, may be used. Sausage containing cereal shall not be labeled "farm style" or "country style," and lard not rendered in an open kettle shall not be designated as "farm style" or "country style".

6. The term "leaf lard" is applicable only to lard prepared from fresh leaf fat.

7. Oil, stearin, or stock obtained from beef or mutton fats, rendered at a temperature about 170° F, shall not be designated as "oleo oil," "oleo Stearin," or "oleo stock," respectively.

8. When any meat or meat product is enclosed in a container along with a packing substance such as brine, vinegar, or agar-agar jelly, a declaration of the packing substance shall be printed prominently on the label in connection with the name of the product, as for example, "frankfurters packed in brine," "beef tongue packed in agar-agar jelly," or "lamb tongue packed in vinegar," as the case may be. The statement of the quantity of contents shall represent the weight of the drained product when removed from the container to the exclusion of packing substance.

9. The requirement that the label shall contain the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor shall not be considered to relieve any establishment from the requirement that its label shall not be misleading in any particular.

10. The words "spice", "spices" and "spiced", without qualification, shall not be used unless they refer to genuine natural spices.

11. When lard or hardened lard is mixed with rendered pork fat, the mixture shall be designated as "rendered pork fat", or "hardened rendered pork fat", as the case may be.

12. When not more than 20 percent of beef fat, mutton fat, oleo stearin, vegetable stearin, or hardened vegetable fat is mixed with lard or with rendered pork fat, there shall appear on the label, next to and in the same style and size of lettering as the name of the product, the words "beef fat added", "mutton fat added", °oleo stearin added", "vegetable stearin added", or "hardened vegetable fat added", as the case may be.

13. When cereal, vegetable starch, soya flour, dried skim milk and/or other approved binders or extenders are added to sausage within the limits prescribed under §974, there shall appear on the label in a prominent manner, next to the name of the product, the name of each such added ingredient, as, for exam pie, "cereal added," "with cereal, "potato flour added," "cereal and potato flour added," "dried skim milk added," "cereal and dried skim milk added," as the case may be.

14. Tierces, barrels, and half-barrels containing lard, rendered pork fat and mixtures of edible fats com posed in whole or in part of animal fats shall, immediately before or immediately after filling, be legibly marked on one end and on the side near that end with the true name of the product. Pails, tubs, drums and similar containers of such products, shall bear the true name of the product on the side at the time of filling.

15. The term "meat" and the name of particular kinds of meat, such as beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork, shall not be used in such a manner as to be misleading or deceptive.

16. The terms "shankless" and "hockless" shall apply only to hams and pork shoulders from which the shank or hock has been completely removed, thus eliminating entirely the tibia and fibula, or radius and ulna, respectively together with the overlying muscle, skin and other tissue.

17. Products labeled "chili con came" shall contain not less than 40 percent of meat, computed on the weight of the fresh meat. Hearts, cheek meat, head meat or seasoned meat may be used to the extent of 25 percent of the meat ingredient under specific declaration on the label. The mixture shall not contain more than 8 percent of cereal.

18. Products labeled "chili con came with beans" shall contain not less than 25 percent of meat computed on the weight of the fresh meat. Hearts, cheek meat, head meat or seasoned meat, may be used to the extent of 25 percent of the meat ingredient under specific declaration on the label.

19. Products labeled "corn beef hash" shall contain not less than 35 percent of corned beef, based on the weight of the cooked and trimmed beef.

20. The term "gelatin" as used on the labels of meat or meat products shall mean:

21. The term "vegetable fat" shall be applicable to vegetable oil or stearin, or a combination of such vegetable oil or stearin; whereas the term "vegetable oil" and "vegetable stearin" shall be applicable only to the oil and the stearin, respectively.

22. The term "baked" shall apply only to meat or meat products which have been cooked by the direct action of dry heat and for a sufficient time to permit the meat or meat products to assume the characteristics of baked articles, such as the formation of a brown crust on the surface, rendering out of surface fat, and the caramelization of any sugar, that may have been applied.

23. Coverings for meat or meat products shall not be of such color, design or kind as to be misleading or deceptive with respect to color, quality or kind of meat or meat products to which applied. For example, transparent or semi -transparent coverings for such articles as sliced bacon or pork sausage shall not bear lines or other designs of red or other color which can give a false impression of leanness of the meat or meat product, or shall not have an amber or smoked color of such shade, degree, or intensity as to give a false impression with respect to smoking or degree of smoking of the meat or meat product.