Some Processors Fail in Calculating Meat Content, Survey Finds

US - About six per cent of meat products sold in the UK either did not contain, or failed to list, the amount on the label, according to a survey by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
calendar icon 6 November 2007
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The survey was done to check whether UK manufacturers were complying with EU rules relating to declared content.

It will also be used to verify the best methods manufacturers can use when calculating the meat content of their products.

The FSA concluded that the accuracy of its recommended method of calculation could be improved if the visual lean (VL) determination by manufacturers also improved.

For the survey the FSA collected the recipes and ingredients of 191 raw and ready-to-eat meat products from 146 different manufacturers.

In six out of 191 of the products sampled, or 3 per cent, the manufacturers overstated meat content. A further 3 per cent did not declare how much meat the product contained.

All other products met the requirements, the FSA stated yesterday.

Manufacturers of meat products, whether prepacked or sold loose, are required to declare the percentage of they contain by species.

The FSA completed the survey to check whether meat product manufacturers are calculating and declaring meat content correctly in response to changes in labelling legislation requirements.

The FSA also used the survey to evaluate the suitability of its recommended approach that manufacturers can use when calculating meat content before the product leaves the plant.

Source: Meatprocess.com

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