2. Calculation of Meat Content FSA Methods Dr Mark Woolfe Food Labelling & Standards Division Food Standards Agency

3. To explain the principles of the FSA calculation method(s) To pass on what we have learned from tackling businesses’ questions To enable EO’s to advise businesses how to go about calculating meat content Not necessarily to have all the answers To know where more advice is available The aim of this presentation

4. CT =connective tissue EC meat = meat within the meaning of the European definition. vl =visual lean SME =“Small or Medium Enterprise” i.e. a small business ing. =ingredient Abbreviations

5. Overview What does the calculation actually do? –Limits and Excesses - Correcting downwards –Principles of the Method The five sections of the calculation - when you can leave sections out Example - pork sausage Methods for small businesses Some practical advice and golden rules

6. Some general principles... Ingredients treated as a group - limits for fat and CT apply overall e.g., excess fat in one ing. might be “offset” against another less fatty ing. Can we include rind, de-hydrated rind, skin, jowl, etc.? Might not be “meat” in themselves - but can be counted towards content, when “associated” with muscle meat

7. What does the calculation do? Uses data for: weight of ingredient, percentage of fat, and percentage of CT takes account of the limits for fat and CT (in the definition) works out how much fat and CT is allowed within these limits “corrects downwards” to subtract excess fat or connective tissue

8. Limits and Excesses... “Core” meat Connective tissue Limit

9. Limit for fat Limit for CT Limits and Excesses... “EC Meat” (with allowed fat and CT) Total meat ingredient

10. 25% 25% How does the FSA method work? “core and CT” X 100 / 75 Multiply “core” by 100 / 75 “EC Meat” (with allowed fat and CT) Total fat Total connective tissue Core meat Total Meat Ingredients

11. The calculation in practice Calculation is split into 5 sections Overall it makes two “corrections” –Corrects for excess CT –Corrects for excess fat But each “correction” is only necessary if you have an excess So you might not need to do the whole calculation...

12. Calculation in 5 Sections one ingredient: Fat X : CT  5. Work out QUID 2. Correct for CT 1. Work out overall fat / CT 3. Add back fat 4. Correct for fat

13. Calculation in 5 Sections 3 ingredients: Fat ? : CT ? 5. Work out QUID 2. Correct for CT 1. Work out overall fat / CT 3. Add back fat 4. Correct for fat Fat  : CT X

14. Calculation in 5 Sections 4 ingredients: Fat ? : CT ? 5. Work out QUID 2. Correct for CT 1. Work out overall fat / CT 3. Add back fat 4. Correct for fat Fat X : CT X

15. Guidance contains a Table of typical values Match ingredients by: –description of cut –visual lean (vl) content General rule for estimating fat content from vl: fat = visual fat + 10% of lean Where do I get the data from?

16. Example - “Pork Sausage” Lean trim Pork Belly Pork Rind Back fat Other Total pork (kg) 100 75 50 100 300 fat % 27 46 35 78 CT% 20 15 64 71 NB - Limits for pork: - Fat 30%, CT 25%

17. Example - “Pork Sausage” Lean trim Pork Belly Pork Rind Back fat Other Total pork (kg) 100 75 50 100 300 fat % 27 46 35 78 CT% 20 15 64 71 Q. Do ANY of our ingredients have excess fat or connective tissue?

18. Example - “Pork Sausage” Lean trim Pork Belly Pork Rind Back fat Other Total pork (kg) 100 75 50 100 300 fat % 27 46 35 78 CT% 20 15 64 71 Complete Section 1 - Calculate overall fat and connective tissue

19. Example - “Pork Sausage”

20. Lean trim Pork Belly Pork Rind Back fat Other Total pork (kg) 100 75 50 100 300 fat % 27 46 35 78 CT% 20 15 64 71 3442 Do you have excess CT? - Yes Complete Section 2 - Correct for excess CT

21. Section 2 - Correct for CT 1. Calculate fat-free meat total meat (kg) x= total fat (kg) %-age of fat 100 total fat (kg)total meat (kg) -= fat-free meat (kg) 300 x= 126 42 100 126 300 - = 174

22. Section 2 - Correct for CT 2. Calculate CT-free-fat-free-meat CT %-age x= total CT (kg) fat-free meat 100 total CT (kg)fat-free meat -= CT-free-fat-free meat 34 x = 59 174 100 59174 - = 115

23. Section 2 - Correct for CT 3. Include allowed connective tissue CT-free-FF-meat x = FF-meat with allowed CT 100 (100 - 25) 115 x = 153 100 75

24. Example - “Pork Sausage” Do you have excess FAT? - Yes Complete Section 4 - Correct for excess FAT

25. Section 4 - Correct for FAT 1. Include allowed fat FF-meat with allowed CT x= final “EC meat” 100 (100 - 30) 153 x = 218 100 70

26. Calculate the QUID... Total weight of ingredients = 400 (kg) Total pork ingredients = 300 (kg) Final “EC meat” = 218 (kg) We have “corrected downwards” by 82 x 100= QUID EC meat (kg) ingredients (kg) = 55 % 218 400

27. Methods for small businesses Disadvantages for SME’s - –less access to technical expertise –resource / time implications However - –Usually use only “traditional” cuts –less likely to use ingredients with high levels of CT –Rind, dehydrated rind, skin etc.

28. Small Businesses - assumption 5. Work out QUID 2. Correct for CT 1. Work out overall fat / CT 3. Add back fat 4. Correct for fat Fat ? : CT X SME method asks 2 questions about the ingredients: Firstly to check this assumption is correct Secondly to see whether a correction for fat is required

29. Small Business Method Birds / Rabbits meat with attached fat and skin  100 % non-attached fat and skin  0 %

30. Small Business Method “pork sausage” - 10kg recipe pork shoulder 80vl  4kg pork belly 70vl  4kg other ingredients  2kg 4kg x 100% = 4kg 4kg x 90% = 3.6kg (4kg + 3.6kg) / 10kg = 76% values from table

31. General principle of treating ingredients as a group - SME method treats ingredients separately 4kg @ 80vl + 4kg @ 70vl = 8kg@ 75 vl In our example, would change final QUID from 76% to 76.8% How accurate do we want to be? How straightforward do we want it to be? SME’s Method - difference

32. What if you are unfamiliar with the VL system? Other ways to determine if you have excess fat –primal cuts with, trimmed of fat –attached skin only on birds and rabbits –information from suppliers? Baking losses / Fat migration etc. SME’s - Bakers

33. Can I use data from other sources? What if I’m using a different cut, or a different VL? What if I’m using a species not in the table? How do I account for dehydrated ingredients? Some FAQ’s

34. Do I need to use the definition at all? –Should I QUID compound / cooked ingredient, specific cut, offal etc. instead? What type of meat ingredients am I using? –Are any of my ingredients no longer “meat”? –Will I use the full, or the SME method? –Will I have to do any “corrections” at all? Two key questions to start with

35. The calculation is only as accurate as your data: –match your ingredients carefully –estimate vl as accurately as possible Keep records of what you’ve done and why you’ve done it - (due diligence) Check your arithmetic! Finally - Three golden rules

36. Full Agency guidance Concise guidance for SME’s All of which will be available on the web Further information

37. labelling@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk