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Abstract
The Food Safety and Quality Service (FSQS) of USDA wants to standardize rules for the labeling, use, and quality control of two quite similar but differently regulated products-mechanically deboned meat (MOM) and mechanically deboned poultry (MOP). Both are the result of the process introduced years ago that mechanically separates and removes most of the bone from any attached muscle tissue. The development enables meat processors to increase the output of food by over a billion pounds a year. But the full potential has not been realized because of the rules governing the use of labeling of the products. This article discusses the regulations that ensure that MOM and MOP are safe, that the process does not adversely affect the quality of meat products, and that products containing either MOM or MDP are appropriately labeled.