The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) has issued a revision to Directive 7120.1: Safe and Suitable Ingredients Used in the Production of Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products.

The 60th revision, issued on January 27, provides inspection program personnel (IPP) with the latest updates to the list of substances that may be used in the production of meat, poultry, and egg products. The revision also includes terminology updates that align with FSIS process categories. The terminology "ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products" will replace the product description "processed and preformed meat and poultry products." These updates are reflected in FSIS' complete list of safe and suitable ingredients.

Directive 7120.1 no longer provides (1) the complete listing of approved substances, (2) the On-Line Reprocessing (OLR) listing, and (3) the Off-Line Reprocessing (OFLR) Antimicrobial Intervention Systems listing. Instead, it provides a list of the latest changes.

An additional list of acceptable food ingredients is also available in the Code of Federal Regulations at 9 CFR 424.21(c). Directive 7120.1 and its associated documents do not supersede regulations, including standards of identity (9 CFR 319 and 9 CFR 381 subpart P). IPP are to verify that establishments ensure that their use of the listed substances is compliant with all regulatory requirements.

For more information on the revision to Directive 7120.1, including a comprehensive summary of the updates to the list of substances and their labeling requirements, see the FSIS website.