Ms Pendi Najran Food Labelling & Standards Division Food Standards Agency New Meat Products Legislation What will the changes mean in practice?

Changes to Meat Products Legislation Why the changes?Why the changes? Changes to labelling requirementsChanges to labelling requirements QUID - a change of approachQUID - a change of approach Changes in compositional requirementsChanges in compositional requirements TimescaleTimescale

WHY THE CHANGES? MPSFPR Policy Issues QUID EU Definition of Meat

What are the Changes? l Compositional or “recipe” changes – Majority of Reserved Descriptions retained – Different minima for required meat content – Recipe changes may be required l Labelling changes – Changeover to QUID – Quantify on basis of new definition – Rules for cut, joint, slice etc.

How will the Changes be Implemented ? LABELLING FOOD LABELLING (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2003 (Definition of Meat Quid rules) MEAT PRODUCTS LABELLING COMPOSITION MEAT PRODUCTS REGULATIONS 2003 Reserved Descriptions (Reserved Descriptions Prohibited Offal)

EU Definition of meat - a reminder l Does not prohibit the use of any meat ingredients - only changes how they are labelled l Applies when generic words like “beef”, “pork”, “lamb”, “chicken” etc are used l Includes only skeletal muscle meat l Does not include offal (e.g., liver, kidney, heart etc) and MRM - these must be declared separately

EUROPEAN DEFINITION OF MEAT COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2001/101/EC SpeciesFat% %Connective Tissue Mammals 2525 Porcines 3025 Birds and 1510 Rabbits The majority of “traditional” cuts are within the limits for connective tissue

Typical Fat and Connective Tissue Values 2818 Pork neck 80 VL + rind Pork belly 80VL + rind 22 Beef shin and leg 9.8 Fore-quarter mutton 4.9 Chicken breast with skin 12.3 Chicken Leg with skin Fat% Collagen/Protein % Cut

Mechanically Recovered Meat (MRM) l In UK produced under BMMA Code of Practice restricting types of bones used. l Characterised by end product i.e. in puree form and the cellular structure broken down l Current EU definition was agreed in the 60’s, and covers only red meat l An updated EU definition needed l SRM controls prevent production of ruminant MRM.

MRM - Current definitions Community Definition in Directive 64/433/EEC “is [red] meat obtained by mechanical means from flesh-bearing bones…..” Community Definition in Directive 64/433/EEC “is [red] meat obtained by mechanical means from flesh-bearing bones…..” Minced Meat and Meat Preparations (Hygiene) Regulations 1995 gives tighter definition. - comes from residual meat... has been obtained by mechanical means... has been passed through a fine mesh such that its cellular structure has been broken down and it flows in puree form.

MRM - Forthcoming definition l New EU definition of MRM to be provided by consolidated Hygiene Directives l Political agreement reached Dec 02 l Covers poultry as well as red meat l “resulting in the loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure.” l Compatible with the informal definition to which UK industry is currently working

Labelling Changes l Intention is to maintain current level of consumer protection l Rules for cut, joint, slice etc. retained (MPR) l QUID applies to the same products, and the same ingredients as the old “minimum meat content” requirements

Name of the Food - cut, joint slice etc. Two significant changes l Ingredients derived from “foreign” species must be declared in the Name of the Food l Quantification no longer required for added water QUID the meat instead l Rules apply to imports as well as UK products

QUID - A change of approach “minimum meat”: – linked to meat content – total meat - (poss. from different species)QUID: – linked to ingredients – not necessarily “total meat”

Which ingredients require a QUID? “... any ingredient that appears in the name of the food, or is usually associated with that food...” “pork sausage”  pork “steak and kidney pie”  steak, kidney “corned beef pastie”  corned beef “toad in the hole”  sausage “liver sausage”  liver

When does the definition not apply? Compound ingredients (CI) l“ham and pineapple pizza” - QUID the ham lNo need to quantify - -The amount of pork on the pizza -The amount of pork in the ham lCI must be recognisable to consumer lWill usually be a food also sold on its own lEnsure this approach is not used to mislead

When does the definition not apply? Cooked ingredients (CkI) l Where described as cooked / processed, may be QUIDed on that basis. l Limits for fat and CT do not apply, but – No other fat, rind etc. may be counted. – Even if that fat is cooking “run-off” – “cooked” doesn’t include flash-frying etc. l CkI may be QUIDed on “raw equivalent” - basis of QUID must be clear

When does the definition not apply? “Specific cuts” l Name must be specific, familiar, understood by consumers l Would a butcher sell it under that name? l All the meat declared must be from that cut l may not include non-attached skin, fat etc. l Agency recommends that “specific cuts” not declared / QUIDed in comminuted products

When does the definition not apply? Animal-based ingredients outside the definition l Offals e.g., Liver, kidney, heart etc. – Must be described specifically and with species source - “lamb’s liver” etc. – “Liver isn’t meat; liver is liver!” l And also - MRM, head meat l None of these may count towards meat content (either for recipe or labelling)

Which products require a QUID? Yes Prepacked products Loose* products (only for the “meat” ingredients) No Foods sold in catering sandwiches pizzas etc. soup etc. salads etc. when sold loose* * “loose” includes prepacked for direct sale

How is the QUID calculated? QUID % = “declarable weight” weight of final product x 100 “weight of final product” - might not be the same as the sum of the ingredients“weight of final product” - might not be the same as the sum of the ingredients “declarable weight” - depends on the“declarable weight” - depends on the ingredient...

What is the “declarable weight?” 1. a “specific cut” 2. a cooked ing. 3. a compound ing. 4. a non “meat” ing. 5. “EC meat” Any excess fat or CT? “declared weight” = the weight of the ingredient. Use calculation to deduct any excess fat or CT Y N

How is the QUID presented? l Foods sold loose or pre-packed for direct sale Pork sausage minimum 70% meat Pork sausage 50% pork,10% beef Pork and beef quantified separatelyPork and beef quantified separately no longer minimum but actualno longer minimum but actual actual percentage may be lower...actual percentage may be lower...

How is the QUID presented? l Prepacked foods Ingredients: Pork, Rusk, Beef, Water, Seasoning Minimum 70% meat Ingredients : Pork (50%), Rusk, Beef (10%), Pork fat, Water, Pork rind, Beef fat, Beef connective tissue, Seasoning

Compositional requirements lIntention is to maintain current level of consumer protection lProhibited parts of the carcase - the same lRD’s retained for most important products lMinima for meat content now based on new definition lThe actual percentages are lower lMinima depend on the species used

Why are percentages lower? Lean meat Non-meat fat 65% 42%

Reserved descriptions Pork Sausage65 Sausage50 Burger80 Economy Burger60 Meat Pie Pork Birds & Rabbits Other MPSFPR

Will existing products meet the new requirements? l Possibly NOT if: Ô non “EC meat” ingredients counted towards meat content Ô ingredients contain large amounts of connective tissue l Otherwise... YES!

When do the rules take effect? lAfter 1st July 2003 Definition of meat fully in force Where QUID is required for a generic meat ingredient - must be based on new definition Can no longer give “minimum meat content” lAfter 1st February 2004 MPR fully in force Products must meet 2003 Reserved Descriptions New labelling rules for cut, joint, slice etc.

When do the rules take effect? l An example... – I currently produce a “beefburger” and label it “minimum 80% meat” – My burger contains 40% beef, 40% beef heart l I must change my labelling as from 1/7/03 – to QUID the “beef” on basis of new definition – to QUID the heart separately – But I can still call it a “burger”... until... l I must change my recipe as from 1/2/04

Agency Guidance Notes l Comprehensive Guidance Notes – Explain new provisions in detail – Methods for calculating meat content – Guidance on new MPR l Guidance Notes for Butchers / Bakers – Short and concise – Aimed specifically at small businesses – Clear practical advice for the changes that may be required