Today's is a real goodie: "This new regulation is a prophylactic measure designed, in part, to prevent human exposure to the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) agent by ensuring that AMR systems are not a means of introducing central nervous system tissue into product labeled as "meat.''

"FSIS (Food Safety and Inspection Service) is amending the meat inspection regulations in Parts 301, 318, and 320 of the Code of Federal Regulations by modifying the definition of "meat;'' adding or modifying non-compliance criteria for bone solids, bone marrow, brain, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, and DRG (dorsal root ganglia); requiring the development, implementation, and maintenance of a written program, including documentation and recordkeeping requirements, for ensuring process control; and declaring inedible the skulls and vertebral column bones from cattle that are 30 months of age and older...if skulls or vertebral column bones from cattle
30 months of age and older are used in AMR systems, the product exiting the AMR system is adulterated, and the product and the spent bone materials are inedible and cannot be use used for human food. For AMR product derived from the bones of cattle younger than 30 months, the presence of CNS-type tissues will render the product misbranded.

"Similarly, for AMR product derived from the bones of livestock other than cattle, the presence of CNS-type tissues will result in misbranding. For AMR product derived from the bones of all livestock, the restrictions associated with bone solids and bone marrow also relate to misbranding.

"FSIS is amending Sec. 301.2(b), the definition of "meat'' to make it clear that boneless meat may not include significant portions of bone or related components, such as bone marrow, or any amount of CNS-type tissues. Therefore, product produced using an AMR system must not include significant amounts of bone or related components. It also must not include any brain, trigeminal ganglia, spinal cord, or DRG.

Ha! Meat appears within quote marks!

This annoucement also describes "AMR," Advanced Meat Recovery:

"The AMR Process

"AMR systems are newer models of systems that have been used since
the 1960s. The new systems emulate the physical action of hand-held
high-speed knives for the removal of skeletal muscle tissue from bone
through the use of hydraulic pressure. AMR systems apply pressure to
detach the meat (skeletal muscle) tissue from the bones in a ``hard
separation'' process. Desinewers that typically use belt pressure
against a rotating perforated steel drum then separate meat from
connective tissue, sinews, and other non-meat components in a ``soft
separation'' process. In addition to vertebrae, typical bones processed
by piston-driven AMR systems are brisket bones (breast or lower chest),
rib bones, flat bones (scapulas), and hip bones (pelvis).

"AMR product is an intermediate product that is typically blended at
about 5 to 12 percent of the formulation of ground products derived
from manufacturing trimmings. Descriptive labeling for the product of
AMR includes ``(species) trimmings, finely textured,'' ``finely ground
(species),'' or any other term that accurately reflects its form.

"AMR technology enables processors to remove attached skeletal
muscle tissue from livestock bones without incorporating significant
amounts of bone and bone products into the final meat product. When
produced properly, product from AMR systems is comparable to meat
derived by hand deboning and can be labeled as ``meat'' (9 CFR 301.2).
Under the FSIS regulations, spinal cord is not a component of meat, and
therefore, product from AMR systems identified as ``meat'' that
contains spinal cord is misbranded. Until today, FSIS has not taken
regulatory action against ``meat'' containing DRG and other CNS-type
tissues.