DOES A MEAT PRODUCT NEED A LABEL?

Work through this set of questions and you should be able to determine whether COOL applies to the products you make.

A meat product from beef (including veal), pork, lamb, chicken, or goat must bear a COOL label or is subject to labeling providing COOL information if:

1. It is sold at retail, 
   
   AND
   
2. It is a muscle cut, or
3. It is a ground product

The product is EXEMPT from COOL labeling requirements if:

1. The meat product is sold at foodservice (e.g., restaurants, institutions, etc.),
   
   OR
   
2. The meat product has undergone specific processing resulting in a change of character (e.g. cooking, curing, smoking or restructuring) or has been combined with at least one other covered commodity or other substantive food component. The exemption includes, for example, the following:
   
   a. Hot dogs and sausages
   b. Lunch meat
   c. Cooked products
   d. Breaded products
   e. Cured products
   f.  Products in which the meat is an ingredient (e.g., spaghetti sauce with meat)
   g. Fabricated steak
   h. Meatloaf
   i.  Marinated pork tenderloin