Section 289.7115 - Sausage; contents; definitions.
FOOD LAW OF 2000 (EXCERPT)
Act 92 of 2000
289.7115 Sausage; contents; definitions.
Sec. 7115.
Sausage consists only of skeletal meat either fresh, cured, salted, pickled, or smoked. Poultry sausage may contain accompanying skin in natural proportions. Sausage may contain the following:
(a) Salt or spice, cure agents such as sodium or potassium nitrate or sodium or potassium nitrite, cure accelerators such as sodium erythorbate or ascorbic acid, all that comply with applicable regulations of the United States department of agriculture food safety inspection service or any other curing agents determined appropriate by the department or pursuant to rules promulgated under this act. As used in this subdivision, "curing agent" or "curing accelerator" means any substance added to meat to cause or enhance preservation of the meat product.
(b) Added edible animal fat from the animals specified, eggs or egg products, chives, tomatoes, parsley, peppers, onions, garlic, celery, seasoning, or other natural flavoring, honey, syrup, sugar, pure refined dextrose, or subsequent cooking or smoking.
(c) Not more than 3-1/2% by weight nonfat dry milk, dry whole milk, or calcium-reduced milk if it is declared in conjunction with the product name.
(d) Fruits, vegetables, or nuts, or a combination thereof, if the name of the product is so qualified.
(e) Not less than 12% protein. The protein content requirement shall not apply to pork sausage, breakfast sausage, or roasted sausage but the finished product shall contain not more than 50% of fat. Fresh sausage shall contain no added water, except to facilitate chopping or mixing and in an amount not to exceed 3% of the total ingredients. Cooked sausage shall not exceed 40% fat and added water.
(f) Fresh and fresh frozen sausage, smoked and unsmoked dry sausage, may contain antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydroxytoluene or propyl gallate, or a combination of these antioxidants, with or without citric acid, in amounts that comply with applicable regulations of the United States department of agriculture food safety inspection service. When such antioxidants are added, the label on the product shall declare the presence of antioxidants in the manner required by the United States department of agriculture food safety inspection service.
(g) Sausage shall not contain any extenders, artificial flavors, artificial color, binders, excess added water or ice, boric acid or borates, sulphites, sulfur dioxide, sulphurous acid, or any other harmful preservative, by-products, or variety meats. Extenders necessary to produce low-fat products may be permitted as described in rules promulgated under this act. No other parts of the animal or any other substance excepting as above specified shall be permitted in sausage.
(h) Harmless lactic acid bacterial starters may be used in an amount not to exceed 1/2 of 1%. When used, the harmless bacterial starter shall be included in the list of ingredients in the order of its predominance.
(i) The following products are considered to be sausage, whether processed or inserted in either natural or artificial casings or other containers: wieners, bologna, ring bologna, knackwurst, bratwurst, roasted sausage, breakfast sausage, pork sausage, chicken sausage, turkey sausage, leona, beer salami, cooked salami, Polish sausage, minced luncheon, kielbasa, bockwurst, all varieties of dry or semi-dry sausage, and other meat food products prepared in sausage form and excluding loaves, liver products, headcheese, sulze, blood sausage, potato sausage, kishka, tongue sausage, and New York or New England pressed luncheon.
(j) "Fresh pork sausage", "Polish sausage", "fresh kielbasa", and "fresh country-style sausage" are sausages prepared from fresh pork meat.
(k) "Italian-style sausage" shall be uncured, unsmoked, and contain at least 85% meat or meat and fat with no more than 35% fat. Italian sausage contains fennel or anise and may contain red and green pepper, onion, and garlic. Italian sausage shall be prepared from fresh pork meat.
(l) "Fresh beef sausage" is prepared with fresh beef meat and shall not contain more than 30% fat.
(m) "Poultry sausage or poultry-meat sausage" shall be made from fresh poultry meat containing the natural proportions of light and dark meat unless otherwise designated. The name shall be identified by the species contained if the product contains all its meat from 1 species. It shall not contain more than 30% fat. Poultry-meat sausage shall not contain skin.
(n) "Cervid sausage" shall be made from the meat of cervidae from approved sources. The name shall be identified by the species contained if the product contains all its meat from 1 species, such as "venison sausage" or "elk sausage". A person shall not offer for sale, sell, or expose for sale any other product described as cervid sausage. Fat of another species and approved source may be added to cervid sausage.
(o) Sausage containing wild game and made on commercial order shall be labeled "not for sale". Wild game from more than 1 owner shall not be mixed into sausage unless a licensed processor butchered all the wild game. Processors shall reject any carcass that shows evidence of spoilage or contamination. Wild game and wild-game product and processing times shall be kept separate from other meat and meat processing, including, but not limited to, storage in separate or structurally-partitioned coolers. Food contact surfaces shall be thoroughly washed and sanitized after the processing of wild game and before the resumption of any other processing.
History: 2000, Act 92, Eff. Nov. 8, 2000 ;-- Am. 2007, Act 114, Eff. Apr. 1, 2008
Compiler's Notes: Sec. 1117 of Act 92 of 2000 provides:“Sec. 1117. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), this act takes effect 6 months after the date of enactment.“(2) Until 6 months after the effective date of this act, compliance with the standards of the design, construction, and equipment of a food service establishment approved under former sections 12901, 12902, 12903, 12904, 12905a, 12906, 12907, 12908, 12910, 12911, 12912, 12913, 12916, and 12921 of the public health code, MCL 333.12901, 333.12902, 333.12903, 333.12904, 333.12905a, 333.12906, 333.12907, 333.12908, 333.12910, 333.12911, 333.12912, 333.12913, 333.12916, and 333.12921, is considered compliance with this act.“(3) Beginning 6 months after the effective date of this act, a food service establishment shall comply with the standards of design, construction, and equipment established under this act.”