Does cutting or slicing vegetables count as processing? What about dried fruit or mushrooms, are they covered commodities?
A. A processed food item is a retail item derived from a covered commodity that has undergone processing resulting in a change in the character of the commodity or that has been combined with at least one other covered commodity or other substantive food components (e.g. breading, chocolate, salad dressing, and tomato sauce). Trimming, cutting, chopping, and slicing are activities that do not change the character of the product. Dried fruit is not subject to COOL labeling requirements since the drying process changes the character of the fruit. Mushrooms, if fresh, are covered. Dried mushrooms are not covered. Q. Why did USDA choose to define the term “processed food item” in this manner when it seems to result in many products being excluded from labeling? A. The definition of a processed food item developed for this rule has taken into account comments from affected entities and has resulted in excluding products that would be more costly and troublesome for retailers and suppliers t
