(a) Identity.

(1) Canned oysters is the food prepared from one or any mixture of two or all of the forms of oysters specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, and a packing medium of water, or the watery liquid draining from oysters before or during processing, or a mixture of such liquid and water. The food may be seasoned with salt. It is sealed in containers and so processed by heat as to prevent spoilage.

(2) The forms of oysters referred to in paragraph (a)(1) of this section are prepared from oysters which have been removed from their shells and washed and which may be steamed while in the shell or steamed or blanched or both after removal therefrom, and are as follows:

(i) Whole oysters with such broken pieces of oysters as normally occur in removing oysters from their shells, washing, and packing.

(ii) Pieces of oysters obtained by segregating pieces of oysters broken in shucking, washing, or packing whole oysters.

(iii) Cut oysters obtained by cutting whole oysters.

(3)

(i) When the form of oysters specified in paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section is used, the name of the food is “Oysters” or “Cove oysters”, if of the species Ostrea virginica; “Oysters” or “Pacific oysters”, if of the species Ostrea gigas; “Oysters” or “Olympia oysters”, if of the species Ostrea lurida.

(ii) When the form of oysters specified in paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section is used, the name of the food is “Pieces of ___”, the blank being filled in with the name “Oysters” or “Cove oysters”, if of the species Ostrea virginica; “Oysters” or “Pacific oysters”, if of the species Ostrea gigas; “Oysters” or “Olympia oysters”, if of the species Ostrea lurida.

(iii) When the form of oysters specified in paragraph (a)(2)(iii) of this section is used, the name of the food is “Cut ___, the blank being filled in with the name “Oysters” or “Cove oysters”, if of the species Ostrea virginica; “Oysters” or “Pacific oysters”, if of the species Ostrea gigas; “Oysters” or “Olympia oysters”, if of the species Ostrea lurida.

(iv) In case a mixture of two or all such forms of oysters is used, the name is a combination of the names specified in this paragraph (a)(3) of the forms of oysters used, arranged in order of their predominance by weight.

(4) Label declaration. Each of the ingredients used in the food shall be declared on the label as required by the applicable sections of parts 101 and 130 of this chapter.

(b) [Reserved]

(c) Fill of container.

(1) The standard of fill of container for canned oysters is a fill such that the drained weight of oysters taken from each container is not less than 59 percent of the water capacity of the container.

(2) Water capacity of containers is determined by the general method provided in §130.12(a) of this chapter.

(3) Drained weight is determined by the following method: Keep the un-opened canned oyster container at a temperature of not less than 68° or more than 95 °Fahrenheit for at least 12 hours immediately preceding the determination. After opening, tilt the container so as to distribute its contents evenly over the meshes of a circular sieve which has been previously weighed. The diameter of the sieve is 8 inches if the quantity of the contents of the container is less than 3 pounds, and 12 inches if such quantity is 3 pounds or more. The bottom of the sieve is woven-wire cloth that complies with the specifications for such cloth set forth under “2.38 mm (No. 8)” in “Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists,” 13th Ed. (1980), Table 1, “Nominal Dimensions of Standard Test Sieves (U.S.A. Standard Series),” under the heading “Definitions of Terms and Explanatory Notes,” which is incorporated by reference. Copies may be obtained from the AOAC INTERNATIONAL, 481 North Frederick Ave., suite 500, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, or may be examined at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202-741-6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal__register/code__of__federal__regulations/ibr__locations.html. Without shifting the material on the sieve, so incline the sieve as to facilitate drainage. Two minutes from the time drainage begins, weigh the sieve and the drained oysters. The weight so found, less the weight of the sieve, shall be considered to be the drained weight of the oysters.

(4) If canned oysters fall below the standard of fill of container prescribed in paragraph (a) of this section, the label shall bear the general statement of substandard fill specified in §130.14(b) of this chapter in the manner and form therein specified, followed by the statement, “A can of this size should contain ___ oz. of oysters. This can contains only ___ oz.”, the blanks being filled in with the applicable figures.

[42 FR 14464, Mar. 15, 1977, as amended at 47 FR 11832, Mar. 19, 1982; 49 FR 10102, Mar. 19, 1984; 54 FR 24895, June 12, 1989; 58 FR 2884, Jan. 6, 1993; 63 FR 14035, Mar. 24, 1998]