Mechanically Separated Meat Of Turkey
USDA permits mechanically separated turkey under 9 CFR 319.5 with required labeling. Generally safe but is a marker of highly processed products that often contain higher sodium, phosphates, and saturated fat.
What it is
A paste-like product made by forcing turkey carcasses (bones with attached tissue) under high pressure through a sieve to separate edible tissue from bone.
Inexpensive protein source used in processed poultry products such as hot dogs, bologna, and nuggets.
Why it's flagged
- Indicator of highly processed meat products
- Higher calcium from bone fragments
- Often paired with sodium-rich curing/preserving agents
What regulators actually say
"Mechanically separated (kind of poultry) is the finely comminuted product resulting from the mechanical separation and removal of most of the bone from attached skeletal muscle of poultry carcasses and parts of carcasses."
Regulatory status
United States — FDA
Regulated by USDA-FSIS, not FDA; permitted with mandatory labeling under 9 CFR 319.5
European Union — EFSA
Mechanically separated meat regulated by EU Regulation (EC) No 853/2004; permitted with labeling
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