The United States and Canada have agreed to adopt common standards for naming meat cuts in an effort to facilitate trade, the US Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Marketing Service reported.
Both countries will adopt the US Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) as the standard terminology for meat cut names starting Feb. 24. IMPS is a set of voluntary standards maintained by AMS. The full list of applicable meat cut names is listed in the IMPS. The agreement only applies to wholesale cuts of meat, AMS noted.
The agreement stems from a collaboration between the US and Canada that started in 2011. The US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) was formed to establish clear and consistent standards to identify products to make it easier for US and Canadian industries to do business on both sides of the border.
“Adopting a common trade language is beneficial to industry on both sides of the border, and will enhance trade and opportunities for American producers,” said Anne Alonzo, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Administrator. “Meat production in the US and Canada is highly integrated, and this will benefit industry by reducing costs of maintaining separate inventories, and facilitate the efficient trade with our Canadian partners.”
