Companies that are approved under the USDA Process Verified Program may use the "USDA Process Verified" shield and/or term on promotional materials, including labels. Companies must request the use of the "USDA Process Verified" shield within their Process Verified Program. Companies that use the shield and/or term must have a defined process for ensuring that the shield and/or term are used appropriately. The PVP Program Procedure (pdf) outlines the requirements for companies who use the shield and/or term.
All promotional materials, including labels, must be submitted to the appropriate commodity Division for review. Such review is not an official approval. Instead, the review is to ensure that the shield and/or term are accurately represented. Approved promotional materials, including labels, must be maintained by the company for review.
Promotional Materials:
Companies that use the shield and/or term in promotional materials must ensure that they are used in direct association with a clear description of the specified process verified points. Companies must also ensure that the shield and/or term are not misrepresented and are not used in association with any company claims. It is required that promotional materials include the USDA Process Verified web address (http://processverified.usda.gov/).
Labels:
Labels which contain the "USDA Process Verified" shield must meet one of the following conditions:
- The specified process verified points are printed immediately adjacent to the USDA Process Verified shield.
- An asterisk referring the consumer to the information panel for further information about the specified process verified points is printed with the shield.
- An asterisk referring the consumer to point of sale information is printed with the shield. In this situation, the company must ensure that the point of sale information is readily available and within close proximity of the display counter containing the product.
Meat and Poultry Labels:
The Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) Labeling and Consumer Protection Staff is the authority for evaluation and approval of federally inspected meat labeling bearing special claims, such as the Process Verified Program. All labels must be submitted to the FSIS Labeling and Consumer Protection Staff for review and approval. View FSIS label application guidance.
It is required that labels include the USDA Process Verified web address (http://processverified.usda.gov/).