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Regulation of Chemicals Used for Meat and Poultry Processing

Do you know the different categories of chemicals utilized in the meat and poultry processing industry and the agencies that approve/regulate them?
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By The RITE Team™

Understanding the types of chemicals used in food processing—and how they are regulated—is essential for ensuring both safety and compliance. The summary below outlines the functions of cleaners, sanitizers, processing aids, and hand sanitizers, along with the roles of agencies like the EPA, FDA, and FSIS.

See the summary below to learn more:

 

Chemical Types
What Does it Do?
Does EPA Regulate this Type of Chemical?
Cleaners Cleaning removes dirt and organic matter from surfaces using soap or detergents. EPA regulates cleaning products only if they claim to sanitize or disinfect. Learn more about EPA's role.
Sanitizers Sanitizing kills bacteria on surfaces using chemicals. It is not intended to kill viruses. Yes, EPA registers products that sanitize. The FDA governs their usage/application parameters.
Antimicrobial Intervention / Processing Aids Chemical interventions can be used to potentially reduce Salmonella in meat and poultry products during second processing (post-chill) as part of a multiple hurdle approach without additional approval.

No, FSIS utilizes FCN’s issued by FDA for these products. A complete list can be found in FSIS Directive 7120.1 with acceptable uses and rates.

  1. The use of the substances is consistent with FDA’s labeling definition of a processing aid
  2. Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)
  3. Secondary Direct Food Additive
  4. Direct Food Additive
  5. Color Additive
  6. Food Contact Substance (FCS) subject to food contact notifications (FCN) is defined as any substance that is intended for use as a component of materials used in manufacturing, packing, packaging, transporting, or holding food if such use is not intended to have any technical effect in such food
Hand Sanitizer Using hand sanitizer kills pathogens on skin. No, hand sanitizers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

 

Acronyms:

  • FDA = Food and Drug Administration
  • EPA = Environmental Protection Agency
  • FSIS = Food Safety Inspection Service (Agency of the USDA)
  • FCN = Food Contact Notification
  • FIFRA = Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act

 

Reach out to the RITE Team™ for more information on food processing environment chemical selection including intervention chemistry.

 

The RITE Team™

The RITE Team™
By The RITE Team™

Hydrite’s RITE Team™ is a group of experienced professionals tasked to enhance the technical support in the field to introduce innovative solutions that help address critical issues in the food industry.