Category: Meat regulations

Since 1971, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has banned the sale of livestock lungs for human food due to concerns over contamination. This longstanding regulatory measure addresses key food safety risks, such as the potential for aspirated stomach contents and inhaled microorganisms, explaining exactly why lung meat is banned in commercial markets.

Since 1997, stringent U.S. regulations have prohibited the use of high-risk cattle tissues, including brain and spinal cord, from entering the human food supply, a direct response to concerns surrounding Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). This means that commercially sold ground beef in the United States does not contain brain tissue.