Labeling Standards for Ovine Carcasses, Parts of Carcasses, Meat and Meat Food Products

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Pursuant to a requirement in the Farm Bill of 1996, the Department is issuing this advance notice of proposed rulemaking to determine the type of labeling standards it should establish for lamb and mutton and their meat food products. The principal issue of concern in the marketing of sheep is the identification, for the benefit of consumers, of the higher valued lamb carcasses compared to the lower valued mutton and sheep carcasses. One of the key elements of this issue is the attributes that give lamb meat products this higher value, such as flavor, texture, moisture, color, mouth feel, or portion size.