Washington - A proposal by the USDA may force chicken and turkey processors to change their chilling techniques and could cost the poultry industry millions of dollars.
In a Federal Register notice the USDA said the cost of reducing water retention alone could reach $100 million, not including labeling fees or the price tag on establishing guidelines for appropriate water levels.
Reducing retained water could entail a wide range of processing modifications, depending on the type of chilling equipment currently used and the amount of retained water that would have to be removed.
The USDA announced it would soon propose rules that would require poultry processors who use a common practice of chilling birds in a bath of cold water after slaughter to prove that, the technique is necessary in order to fight off harmful bacteria, such as salmonella.
If a company proves it needs to use the immersion method to ensure food safety, it will have to label its products to let customers know that the chicken or turkeys may weigh more, and potentially cost more, due to absorbed water, the USDA said.
Labeling costs could reach $18.4 million if all raw, single-ingredient poultry continues to retain water, the department said in the upcoming Federal Register notice.
The industry could also pay $1.5 million to establish limits for water retention in chicken and turkeys for various chiller systems. This cost could be reduced if associations or groups establish the limits themselves, USDA said.
The USDA said the majority of the costs would fall on larger companies, which dominate the industry. Arkansas-based Tyson processes more than a quarter of all chicken produced in the United States each year.
There are 50 to 60 companies that process less than one million birds each year, many of which do not use the immersion chillers and would be largely unaffected, USDA said.
The proposals come after the red meat industry complained about government regulations that greatly limit the use of water in beef, lamb and pork processing but do not apply to poultry.
Poultry processors use large amounts of water from high-powered hoses and chilling baths to bring the internal temperatures of the chickens and turkeys down to government standards as well as to clean and sanitize the birds.
But, a federal district court ruled more than a year ago in a lawsuit filed by Iowa beef producers that water levels used in poultry processing were not based on scientific data. Some have suggested poultry processors use more than enough water in their plants in an underhanded attempt to add weight and fatten income.
Beef processors generally use light misting and air chilling methods to cool meat.
Meat Industry Insights News Service
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Northport, NY 11768
Phone: 631-757-4010
Fax: 631-757-4060
E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com
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