Allowable water retention in raw poultry under the FDA?

Hello. Can anyone show me where to find the actual ALLOWABLE water retention in raw poultry under the FDA? Thanks

As an FYI Scampi, FDA has jurisdiction over 80 percent of the food supply, including seafood, dairy and produce. USDA regulates meat, poultry and processed egg products, while FDA regulates all other food products.

Labeling Retained Water Products

Establishments will be required to include a retained water statement on labeling of raw, single-ingredient, whole, ground or cut-up meat or poultry products that retain water that is used in meeting food safety requirements during post-evisceration processing, e.g., chilling. Retained water is not regarded as intentionally added or as a product ingredient. However, the labeling of products with retained water must bear a prominent statement on the principal display panel disclosing the maximum amount of water, and how it got incorporated, e.g., "contains up to X% retained water," or "with X% absorbed water." The retained water statement must be prominently located on the principal display panel of the label and could be contiguous to the name of the product. Refer to Retained Water Sample Labels.

Prominence of the retained water statement is determined by several factors, including size of lettering in the statement compared with other lettering on the label, location of the statement, and color contrast between the lettering and the background. There is no specific letter size requirement for the percent-retained water statement.

Establishments having data or information to demonstrate that their products do not contain retained water will not be required to label the products with such a statement and could include a "no retained water" claim on the label. Processors can modify existing labels by use of pressure sensitive stickers or indelible ink rubber stamps bearing the percent-retained water statement or a "no retained water" claim. This type of label change is possible under the generic label approval regulations.

The generic labeling regulations  9 CFR 317.5 and  381.133 and the nutrition labeling regulations  9 CFR Part 317 Subpart B and  Part 381 Subpart Y apply to retained water products as they do to other single-ingredient products.

Reference: http://www.fsis.usda..._guidelines.htm

We are quail and fall under ONLY FDA as a game bird, so poultry yes, USDA, no. My question was, where do I find the exact amount that is allowed BEFORE I am forced to label with a retained water %???

Thanks

9 CFR 381.169 - Ready-to-cook poultry products to which solutions are added.

"The introduction of the added materials shall increase the weight of the processed product by approximately 3 percent over the weight of the raw product after washing and chilling in compliance with § 381.66. The weight of the added materials introduced into the poultry products as provided in this paragraph shall be included as part of the weight of the poultry for purposes of the net weight labeling provisions in § 381.121(b)."

Is it just water or is it a brine?

Just water, thanks RG3. i guess that's as close as I'll get.....the poultry is not immersed in water so its not really added

Scampi -

     USDA FSIS requires that any retained water over 1% be labeled for certain products regulated under FSIS. To ensure you have yourself covered, you might go to the website below, research your question, and/or submit a question so you have an authoritative answer on whether you have to comply or not. [will have to copy and paste - not sure why it's not showing as a link...]

www.askfsis.custhelp.com/app/answers/list

KTD