—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Sept, 27, 1975
52
‘Country-style’ meats to be standardized
WASHINGTON - The U.
S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA)
recently called for public
comment on a proposal to
establish a new standard of
identity for pork products
labeled as “country ham,”
“country-style pork
shoulder” and similar
names.
The proposed standard
would establish minimum
preparation requirements
for these products to help
maintain those charac
teristics traditionally
associated with country
cured products officials of
USDA ’s Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) said.
Under the proposal,
federal meat inspection
regulations would
specifically define products
such as “country ham”,
“country-style ham”,
“country pork shoulder” or
“country-style pork
shoulder” as being un
cooked, dry-cured, smoked
or unsmoked products made
from a solid piece of meat
coming from the ham or
shoulder, respectively, of a
hog.
Further, these products
could not be injected with,
nor put up in liquid solutions.
Likewise, such products
would have to be prepared in
accordance with other
specific requirements, in
cluding the following;
- The entire exterior of the
ham or pork shoulder would
have to be coated with an
amount of salt or a mixture
of salt and other curing
agents sufficient to insure
complete penetration of the
cure mixture. Optional
ingredients which could also
be used include sucrose,
dextrose, com syrup solids,
honey, pepper, spices and
other approved flavorings.
- Hams would require at
least 45 days for cure
penetration and equalization
with an additional minimum
of 25 days required for the
drying period. Likewise,
pork shoulders would
require at least 25 days for
cure penetration and
equalization with an ad
ditional minimum of 25 days
required for the drying
period. For both hams and
pork shoulders, the internal
temperature when produced
under controlled at
mospheric condition, could
not exceed 95 degree
Fahrenheit during the
drying period.
- The finished product
would have to shrink at least
18 percent from its fresh
weight
- lijm 1 shoulder*
would have to be treated to
destroy any live trichinae
- Products labeled as
“country" or “country
style” would have to be
capable of being distributed
without refrigeration, and
labeled as such.
The proposed standard
would not differentiate
between products labeled as
“country" or “country
style”. Rather, these terms
would be considered as
generic in nature when used
in labeling hams and pork
shoulders as a reference
to their curing charac
teristics rather than the
geographic location where
they are produced.
Officials emphasized that
adoption of the new standard
would not porhibit the
production of products under
natural climatic conditions
and which are held for agin^ t
for much longer periods
provided the safety and
wholesomcness of the
finished product is assured.
Years ago, it was common
practice for people to
prepare meat during winter
months so that it would not
spoil when warmer weather
arrived. This involved ap
plying salt to the meat, and
removing the natural
moisture through "aging”.
The warmer temperatures of
spring and summer con
tinued the drying process
and completed the preser
vation which killed any
trichinae, preserved the
product, and contributed to
the flavor, texture and other
characteristics associated
with products prepared in
this manner.
While refrigeration and
other technological ad
vances since then have
eliminated the need for this
type of preservation, many
people retain a preference
for such products.
Therefore, USDA’s proposal
is designed to establish
minimum requirements that
will approximate those
traditionally associated with
country-cured products.
On two previous occasions
- July 17, 1971 and July 13,
1972 USDA has issued
similar proposals to
establish a standard of
identity for country-cured
pork products.
WhUe comments received
on those earlier proposals
generally favored the
establishment of such a
standard, there was con
siderable difference of
opinion on the amount of
tune that would be required
for salting, curing and aging,
as well as the maximum
temperature to which such
products should be subjected
during drying or aging.
Relevant information ob
tained since then has been
considered and incorporated
into the current proposal,
APHIS officials said
The complete text of the
proposed standard was
DubUshed in the Sept. 5,1975
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Federal Register. Copies of
the proposal are available
from APHIS, Room 1164 -
South Bldg., USDA.
Washington, DC 20250.
Anyone wishing to submit
written comments con
cerning the proposed
amendment are urged to do
so by filing them in duplicate
with the Hearing Clerk,
Room 112-A, USDA,
Washington, DC 20250.
Confidential material or
requests for oral presen-
Holsteins
Noman Kline, Klmedell of
Schaefferstown reports that
his Registered Holsteins
were calssified for body
conformation on Sept. 16.
The scoring was done by an
official classifier of Holstein-
Fnesian Association of
America, Brattleboro,
Vermont.
Dairymen enrolled in this
herd improvement program
receive a numerical score
for each animal evaluated.
The True-Type Holstein
represents theoretical
perfection and has a value of
100 points on the
classification score card.
Each animal is scored,
receiving a rating of Ex
cellent (90 points or more),
Very Good (85 through 89),
Good Plus (80 through 84),
Good (75 through 79), Fair
(65 through 74) or Poor (64
points or below).
Including animals
previously scored, the
Klmedell herd has 3 Ex
cellents, 17 Very Goods and
34 Good Pluses.
To provide a more com
plete image of each animal,
the classifier also uses
comparative terms to
describe twelve major parts
of the animal’s physical
characteristics. This “Word
picture” serves as a guide
for planning a breeding
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FREE INSTALLATION'
tations .should be addressed
to the Products Standards
Staff, Technical Services,
Meat and Poultry Inspection
Program, APHIS, USDA,
Washington, DC 20250.
Deadline for all comments
oral and written is Nov.
4, 1975.
Oral and written com
ments will be made
available for public in
spection during regular
hours of business in the
Office of the Hearing Clerk.
Classified
program to improve the
herd.
The information from the
classification of the herd will
be summarized by the
Holstein Association on its
high speed computer.
Returned to the breeder,
these reports provide useful
information for selection in
the herd. The data is also
published and available as
reference for the herd im
provement programs of
Hostein dairymen
everywhere.
rvom^9 am^
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Robert Kreider Clarence Weiler Wnehtsville PA
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Milk output down
HARRISBURG - Milk
production In Pennsylvania
during August was 579
million pounds, down one
percent from a year ago,
according to the Crop
Reporting Service. The
number of milk cows in the
Commonwealth during
August was 685,000, un
changed from last month
and a year ago.
Milk production per cow
averaged 845 pounds in
August, down one percent
from a year earlier but two
P. L ROHRER & BRO., INC.
Smoketown, Pa. Phone Lane. 717-299-2571
percent above August 197.1.
United States milk
production during August
was estimated at 9,609
million pounds, 0.8 percent
below a year ago. U.S. milk
production per cow averaged
863 pounds, down two pounds
from a year ago, but 26
pounds above August 1973.
Milk cows on farms during
August totaled 11,137,000
head, down 0.6 percent from
a year ago. The estimated
number of milk cows was
5,000 below a month ago.