AMS Meat and MRE Laboratory Testing — USDA Lab Analysis Standards for Military Rations, Meat Products, and Horsemeat Trichinae Certification

Current Rule (2026)

What This Rule Does

7 CFR Part 98 is the federal regulation that authorizes USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service to test meat composition for military rations and to certify laboratories that verify horsemeat is free of Trichinella spiralis before it can be exported to Europe.

Before a case of ground beef goes into military field rations, before tallow or lard meets commercial specifications, and before a horsemeat shipment can clear customs in Europe, someone has to run the lab tests. Part 98 governs who runs them, how they run them, and what the results mean for suppliers.

Subpart A covers the lab analysis services AMS provides for Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs), commercial meats, and meat food products. This includes fat, moisture, protein, salt, nitrite, sulfur dioxide, and other compositional tests performed under memoranda of understanding with the Department of Defense's Defense Personnel Support Center (DPSC) and on a reimbursable basis for commercial and other government customers. The Berry Amendment requires that all food for DOD — including MRE components — be grown and processed in the United States, which drives the testing workload the AMS-DPSC MOU is designed to cover.

Subpart B covers the certification of private laboratories that test horsemeat for the presence of Trichinella spiralis. European Union countries require trichinae testing before accepting U.S. horsemeat imports. AMS certifies qualified analysts and labs to conduct this testing so that horsemeat exporters can meet those foreign market requirements. Without an AMS-certified lab result, a U.S. horsemeat shipment cannot be accepted at EU ports.

Key Mechanics

7 CFR Part 98 divides the AMS laboratory testing program into two distinct but related tracks, both operating under the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (7 U.S.C. § 1622), which gives USDA the broad authority to provide inspection, grading, and certification services on a voluntary or reimbursable basis. The same statutory authority underlies the voluntary produce grading system (see USDA Produce Grading and Inspection), the federal dairy programs, and the Agricultural Marketing Orders that govern commodity handling — but Part 98 is the specific implementation for lab testing of meat and meat products.

Subpart A — MRE and Meat Compositional Testing

AMS Science and Technology (S&T) labs perform compositional and microbiological testing for MREs, commercial meats, and meat food products. Under § 98.5, AMS labs use the Official Methods of Analysis published by AOAC INTERNATIONAL and U.S. Army Military Specifications test methods — the same analytical standards used by commercial food labs worldwide. AMS lab testing complements (and is distinct from) the continuous FSIS inspection regime under the Federal Meat Inspection Act: FSIS inspects establishments and verifies product safety at the slaughter and processing level, while AMS S&T performs the compositional laboratory analysis that certifies whether products meet specification.

Testing falls into four categories (§ 98.4):

1. Canned and frozen meats — fat, salt, and moisture tests; typically 1–4 samples per lot
2. Microbiology — Psychrotrophic Bacterial Plate Count (the key measure of spoilage risk in refrigerated meats)
3. Government-spec and product tests — fat, salt, moisture, protein, and water activity; 1–6 samples
4. Lard and tallow — color, free fatty acids, insoluble impurities, moisture, specific gravity, titer, and unsaponifiable material; 4–6 samples

For ground beef, pork, MRE components, and other meats not covered under a standard Livestock and Seed Division agreement, the test panel expands to include nitrites, sulfites, ascorbates, citric acid, and standard plate counts — the same parameters that determine whether a product meets USDA or military purchase specifications. AMS runs this work out of three field labs: the Midwestern Laboratory in Chicago, the Aflatoxin Laboratory in Madill, Oklahoma, and the Eastern Laboratory in Gastonia, North Carolina.

The MRE program is governed by a memorandum of understanding between AMS and the Defense Personnel Support Center. Under the MOU, testing fees and schedules are pre-negotiated — DPSC pays AMS at the agreed rate, not the commercial reimbursable rate. Testing for items outside the MOU (specialized government procurement specs, one-off commercial requests) is billed at the standard schedule fee.

Subpart B — Horsemeat Trichinae Laboratory Certification

Trichinella spiralis is a parasitic roundworm that lives in muscle tissue of horses, pigs, rats, and other animals. In humans, eating undercooked infected meat causes trichinosis — a potentially severe illness with muscle pain, fever, and in rare cases, cardiac or neurological complications. The EU requires trichinae testing on all imported horsemeat specifically because horses can harbor the parasite without visible signs.

Under § 98.100, AMS grants certification to qualified analysts and laboratories that have demonstrated adequate training, appropriate facilities, and proper testing equipment. Certification is issued through an AMS S&T certificate. Certified labs use only the AMS-approved test methods for detecting Trichinella spiralis in horsemeat (§ 98.102). A lab that loses certification — or that never obtained it — cannot issue test results recognized for EU export documentation. The horsemeat must be U.S. inspected and passed: skeletal muscle, tongue, diaphragm, heart, or esophagus tissue, with or without normal attached fat and connective tissue.

How It Affects You

If you're a defense contractor supplying MREs or meat components to DOD: Your products will be tested through the AMS-DPSC MOU framework. Testing fees are pre-negotiated and baked into the MOU — you won't be billed separately for covered tests. However, if your product category or spec falls outside the MOU's scope, AMS bills at the commercial reimbursable rate. Make sure your procurement team knows which categories are MOU-covered before you price your bid.

If you're a commercial meat processor seeking government validation: AMS's three S&T labs will test your product's fat, moisture, protein, and salt content against published specifications. This is particularly useful if you're selling into military or federal procurement channels where independent USDA lab results carry more weight than in-house QC data. Testing is reimbursable — you pay the published schedule fee. Note that AMS lab testing covers compositional analysis; product safety inspection under the Federal Meat Inspection Act and Poultry Products Inspection Act is a separate FSIS requirement that applies regardless of AMS testing.

If you're a U.S. horsemeat exporter: The EU will not accept your shipment without a trichinae test result from an AMS-certified lab. This is a non-negotiable market-access requirement, not a discretionary quality check. If your lab isn't on the AMS-certified list, your shipment can be turned away at port. The certification system exists because the EU specifically requires it — and AMS built the program to keep that export channel open. If you're entering this market, confirm your testing lab's AMS certification status before you book a container.

If you run a private lab and want AMS trichinae certification: You must demonstrate to AMS S&T that your analysts are adequately trained, your facilities meet program requirements, and your equipment can execute the approved test methods for Trichinella spiralis detection. Certification is the credential that makes your results legally recognized for EU export documentation. Labs that pass the AMS certification process gain access to a niche but high-stakes B2B market — horsemeat producers have very few certified testing options and need reliable partners.

Legal Authority

This regulation implements:

• 7 U.S.C. § 1622 — Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946. Authorizes USDA to provide inspection, grading, and certification services for agricultural products on a voluntary or fee basis and to establish standards for such services. The AMS meat testing and horsemeat trichinae certification programs both operate under this broad marketing services authority. There is no dedicated statutory section for MRE testing or trichinae certification — both are AMS service programs administered under the Act's general grant of authority.
• 7 U.S.C. § 138a — National Laboratory Accreditation Program. Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to run a national program to accredit laboratories that test chemical residues on farm products. While Part 98 labs operate under § 1622 authority, § 138a's residue-testing accreditation standards inform the quality baseline for AMS S&T laboratory programs. HHS, EPA, and USDA coordinate on accrediting standards under this authority.
• 7 U.S.C. § 1636f — Publication of Retail Meat Price Information. Requires USDA to publish monthly (or weekly when practical) retail price data for representative beef, pork, poultry, veal, and lamb products, including both price and sales volume. Relevant context: the same AMS agency that runs the Part 98 lab programs also collects and publishes meat price transparency data; both programs are funded through AMS's voluntary-services budget.

Recent Rulemakings

No major Federal Register amendments have been published for 7 CFR Part 98 in recent years. The testing program frameworks and fee schedules reflect longstanding AMS S&T practice established when the MRE program was developed in collaboration with the Defense Personnel Support Center. The horsemeat trichinae certification program reflects EU import requirements in effect when the rule was codified; updates to EU rules would be the most likely trigger for future amendments.

2026/2027 AMS Service Rate Update (Federal Register doc. 2026-08399, published April 30, 2026): AMS announced its 2026/2027 rates for voluntary grading, inspection, certification, auditing, and laboratory services across all commodities — including meat and poultry. This is the rate-setting action most directly affecting Part 98 lab testing fees. AMS noted that cost-based analyses required increasing certain user fee rates where current rates are insufficient to cover rising operational costs; rates remain unchanged where current levels are sufficient. The update applies to both regular and overtime/holiday rates. Commercial meat processors using AMS S&T lab services should verify current rates before submitting testing requests for FY2027.

Pending Legislation

Several 119th Congress bills affect the broader meat inspection and marketing ecosystem that Part 98 labs operate within:

• S. 1496 (Sen. Rounds, R-SD) — New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2025: Would allow state-inspected meat and poultry to be sold across state lines by creating a federal designation process and harmonizing enforcement. Status: Introduced. Relevant because expansion of state-inspected interstate commerce could increase demand for AMS lab validation services.
• S. 782 (Sen. Luján, D-NM) — Expanding Local Meat Processing Act of 2025: Would let certain small packers own or finance market agencies with required disclosure on accounts of sale. Status: Introduced. Addresses consolidation in the meat processing sector.
• HR 1380 / S. 1312 (Rep. Gottheimer / Sen. Wyden) — Meat and Poultry Special Investigator Act: Would create a USDA investigative office with subpoena and prosecutorial authority over anticompetitive practices in meat and poultry markets. Status: In committee (HR) / Introduced (S). Separate from AMS S&T lab authority but signals congressional attention to USDA's meat market oversight role.
• HR 7818 — American Meat Freedom Act: Would let state-inspected meat be sold across state lines without federal designation. Status: Introduced. Broader deregulation approach than S. 1496.
• HR 1116 (Rep. Davidson, R-OH) — REAL Meat Act of 2025: Would block federal funding for cell-cultivated meat products across most agencies. Status: In committee. Signals the ongoing definitional debate over what counts as "meat" for regulatory purposes — a debate that could eventually affect how AMS defines the products it tests.

Related Topics

• Federal Meat Inspection Act — FSIS continuous inspection of slaughter and processing establishments; the safety backbone that AMS compositional lab testing complements
• Poultry Products Inspection Act — parallel FSIS inspection system for poultry, including the AMS Lab Accreditation Program for private testing laboratories
• Berry Amendment — requires all DOD food (including MRE components) to be domestically grown and processed; the regulatory backdrop for the AMS-DPSC MOU testing relationship
• Agricultural Marketing Orders — the broader AMS regulatory framework operating under the same 7 U.S.C. § 1622 authority
• USDA Produce Grading and Inspection — the produce counterpart to AMS meat lab testing: same voluntary, reimbursable fee model under the same statute
• AMS Specialty Crop Import Standards — related AMS program for import grade enforcement; shows the breadth of AMS's science and testing role
• Food Safety Regulation — the broader FDA/USDA food safety framework within which both AMS lab testing and FSIS inspection operate
• Egg Products Inspection — parallel USDA inspection and testing program for processed egg products