Regulations and Standards of Federal Government 



Federal standards and inspection of canned tuna are administered by 

 the Food and Drug Administration, At the present time there are no 

 specific standards for canned tuna and any regulations come under the 

 general powers of the agency for the inspection of foodo Food and Drug 

 Administration Standards involves (l) standards of identity (v;hat the 

 particular food is), (2) standards of quality (whether above or below 

 standard), and (3) fill of container (how full the package must be) » The 

 standards contemplate in every case that the food is properly prepared 

 from clean, sound materials. The label on the canned product must not 

 misrepresent any fact about the contents of the can^ nor can the contents 

 be packed from "filthy or decomposed" food. The can should be filled as 

 full as is practicable with the principal food in the can (in this case 

 tuna). Any packing medium (in this case added oil) should fill only inter- 

 stices between pieces of the product and must not be used to fill unused 

 head space which could just as well have been filled x-n.th the main product. 

 With certain other canned foods, it has been ruled that a minimum of 90^ 

 of the volume of the can must be filled with the main foodstuff contained 

 in the can. 



The current Food and Drug Administration requirements (United States 

 Food and Drug Administration - 19i|.7) for labeling canned tuna are as 

 follows : 



"The common or usual name 'tuna' nay be used in labeling, fish of 

 the following species: 



Species Gomnon ^ Name i n t he United States 



Germo alalunga Albacore 



Thunnus thynnus Bluef in tuna 



Neothunnus macropterus Yello^^rfin tuna 



Katsuwonus pelamis Skipjack or striped tuna 



The term 'white meat tuna' may be used on the label of the canned 

 light=colored meat of the albacore ( Germo alalunga ) . The light-colored 

 meat of the other three species, Thunnus thynnus , Neothionnus macropterus , 

 and Katsuwomus pelamis may not he labeled as 'white meat tuna' but may 

 properly be labeled as 'light meat tuna. ' 



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