Meat Cut Nomenclature Webinar presentation December 2013

1. Meat Cut NomenclatureWebinar presentation December 2013 CFIA Mary Rathlou Mary.Rathlou@inspection.gc.ca AMS Craig A. Morris, Ph.D. Craig.Morris@ams.usda.gov

2. Content • Overview of the initiative • Progress update • Key Issues • Ongoing alignment work • Next steps • Questions

3. Overview of the initiative • Objective: • Consumers and industry stakeholders mutually benefit from a North American approach • Deliverable/Outcome: • Create a common meat cut nomenclature system and regulatory alignment tool to jointly maintain the system

4. Progress update Action Item 1: • Create a common approach to meat cut nomenclature for wholesale meat cut names Current Status: • Analysis of regulatory impediments to common meat nomenclature with the U.S. complete • In consultation with stakeholders a list of common Canadian – U.S. wholesale nomenclature differences, with appropriate French translations has been compiled • Pilot focussing on industry selected meat cut names is anticipated to commence in February of this year.

5. Progress update Action Item 2: • Establish an ongoing systemic regulatory alignment mechanism/framework • Current Status: • CFIA will develop a new reference document which will have same information as the U.S. Institutional Meat Purchasing Specifications Document(IMPS) and the Meat Buyer’s Guide. • USDA, CFIA and meat industry representatives from both countries participated in review of Meat Buyers Guide and IMPS. • USDA is updating the IMPS and expects to have them available no later than March 2014.

6. Key issues • Focus to date has been on wholesale meat cut nomenclature only. • These meat products move primarily between government inspected facilities in the U.S, and Canada. • Minimal, if any, impact on consumer labeling nomenclature.

7. Ongoing alignment work • Current collaboration is a good foundation for future work and provides a starting point for deeper regulatory cooperation • Canada’s participation in the committee overseeing the NAMA Meat Buyer’s Guide ensures ongoing systemic alignment with respect to meat cut nomenclature • CFIA and Canadian industry participation in the process is a good step towards regulatory alignment. • CFIA will also be working with USDA to deepen regulatory cooperation through mechanisms like cooperative arrangements

8. Next steps • CFIA has engaged the Retail Council of Canada to discuss possible impacts on retail labelling • supports the project for the wholesale meat cuts • willing to work with CFIA on managing retail labelling in light of wholesale work • CFIA and Canadian industry will continue to participate in process to update and harmonize the Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications and the North American Meat Association’s Meat Buyer’s Guide in order to support ongoing systemic alignment in nomenclature

9. Questions Questions? Comments?