Brine-Injected Meat Should be Labeled: US Govt

Brine-injected meat is composed of 40 percent salt water, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture Friday. The USDA proposed a rule that will require companies to disclose the information.

Currently, raw meat and poultry products that contain added solutions such as water, teriyaki sauce, salt, or a mixture thereof may have the same name on their labels as products that do not contain added solutions, said a USDA statement Friday.

For example, a single-ingredient chicken breast and a chicken breast with added solution both may be labeled as chicken breast, even though one package contains purely chicken breast and one may be comprised of 60 percent chicken breast and 40 percent solution, the statement added.

The rule will make labels look like this: chicken breast - 40% added solution of water and teriyaki sauce.

Advocates for the warning labels said that consumers will now be able to make better financial and health decisions.

Who wants to pay $4.99 a pound for the added water and salt? said executive director of the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest Michael F. Jacobson in a statement Thursday. Besides cheating customers financially, 'enhancing' meat and poultry delivers a stealth hit of sodium. Better labeling would help consumers concerned about high blood pressure, stroke, or heart disease avoid products that contribute to those diseases, the statement said.

Once this new rule is enters the Federal Registry, consumers will be given 60 days to share their comments.