EST Number Placement — The Meat Label Disclosure Gap

Federal regulation requires the USDA establishment number to be prominent, conspicuous, and legible — yet it routinely lands on package seams, glued flaps, and low-contrast back panels. This FAT research paper documents the regulation, the variable-data printing and converter economics that drive off-shield placement, and the modest per-package cost of bringing the label into compliance.

USDA-FSIS Recall Data

← FAT Research Library 📅 Prepared February 18, 2026  |  🔄 Revised May 2, 2026 ✍️ Dirk Adams, with the assistance of AI ⌛ 17 min read FSIS ENFORCEMENT DATA SERIES | PAPER 1 OF 6 USDA-FSIS Recall Data: Collection, Classification, and Significance for Consumer Transparency How FSIS collects, classifies, and disseminates the federal meat […]