Canadian government has announced new labeling requirements for mechanically tenderized beef (MTB) as part of Health Canada's commitment to promote food safety in the country.
Effective immediately, the MTB products will be clearly labeled as "mechanically tenderized" and include instructions for safe cooking, which would be verified by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The new labels underline the importance of cooking MTB to a minimum internal temperature of 63°C and turning over mechanically tenderized steaks at least twice during cooking to kill harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
These are to be used by all industry sectors selling uncooked MTB to other industry members or consumers.
Canada Health Minister Rona Ambrose said: "Without clear labels, it is difficult for consumers to know which beef products have been mechanically tenderized. Today's announcement, along with new industry labeling guidelines we have released, will help Canadians know when they are buying these products and how to cook them.
"This regulatory change is another step in our government's commitment to make certain that consumers have the food safety information they need."
Additionally, Health Canada announced new industry guidelines to improve safe cooking and handling information on packaged raw ground meat and raw ground poultry products sold across the country.
