Adding Value to the Scottish Red Meat Supply Chain

Home , Chitterlings, Liver (food), Liver and onions, Offal, Sweetbread

Recovering Value Topic ADDING VALUE Topics of Common Interest from the 5th Quarter 3 TO THE SCOTTISH and Reducing Waste RED MEAT SUPPLY CHAIN Edible by-products (offal)

INTRODUCTION

The slaughter of animals yields many edible products other than carcase meat (such as red offal), which are fit for human consumption. As such they are valuable sources of protein and nutrients required in the diet, when used either as prepared items (e.g. slices of liver) or when used as ingredients in meat products. The market for ‘edible by-products’ differs however, by country (even region) and culture. In recent years the acceptance of some ‘offal’ material for human consumption has (unfortunately for the meat industry) declined in the home market, but in other parts of the EU and the world, the demand for many of the products that used to be consumed in larger volumes in Britain is better. At the same time as livestock numbers are declining in Britain and the EU, there is a greater demand for higher quality raw materials for the manufacture of pet foods. This has resulted in many of the products that could be used for human consumption being diverted into the pet food chain (the opportunities in this area are discussed in the Common Topic 6 Petfood).

DEFINITIONS

Edible 5th quarter products Edible 5th quarter products can come from both the internal body parts of cattle, sheep and pigs and from external (whole body) parts. For example: Internal: Those from within the carcase, items such as liver and kidney are still relatively widely utilised by consumers. Some used to be more widely used, but are now difficult to find in many retail outlets (such as, hearts, lungs and trachea, sweetbreads) and others that are now banned (e.g. the brains from cattle over 12 months old). Such 5th quarter materials are sometimes referred to as ‘red offal’ from the carcase, such as liver (as opposed to ‘green offal’ referring to the digestive tract and associated organs). Some of the blood from cattle and pigs is used for manufacturing black puddings (the opportunities in this area are discussed in the Common Topic 7 Blood). External: Includes pig heads, head meat from eligible cattle and sheep, feet, oxtail and collagen. Other edible products can be seamed out from parts of the remaining carcase that may otherwise be trim (and hence possibly waste).

Edible co-products Is a term used by EU Regulations to refer to ‘edible by-product’ materials derived from internal and external 5th quarter material that have to be further processed in some way (i.e. which for some may only mean washing), before being used wholly or as ingredients in products for human consumption.

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DEFINITIONS

Edible co-products (cont’d)

The main edible co-products are derived from: 1 Stomachs – (in cattle and sheep the rumen and reticulum – processed for tripe’s for domestic consumption or export (less so sheep). The processing of tripes is described in Common Topic 5 Tripe. In pigs the stomach (maw) – processed today mainly for the export market (when harvested with the large intestine they are sometimes referred to as chitterlings and can be cooked and used as food on their own, or processed with other material in traditional meat products such as faggots). 2 Intestines – derived from the small intestines of sheep and pigs, processed primarily for use as natural casings. In cattle they are classified as specified risk materials. 3 Edible fats and proteins – derived from various fat sources from carcases that have been passed as fit for human consumption. 4 Feet – need to be cleaned and de haired, sometimes skinned for human consumption. The main edible 5th quarter materials are outlined in Table 1 on page 5.

THE DOMESTIC MARKET

Edible offal form the basis of many well-known national dishes such as liver and onions, steak and kidney pie, stuffed heart, tripe and onions, not least in Scotland they provide the essential ingredients for haggis. In addition bones yield marrow and can be used to produce stock, and intestines can be used as the skins for sausages and black and white puddings. Many of these offal require little preparation other than trimming and removal of the outer membrane (skinning) to make them ready for sale. The following illustrations show the most common edible offal derived from cattle and typical presentations.

Tongue as removed from head Tongue after trimming and skinning

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THE DOMESTIC MARKET (cont’d)

Liver direct from slaughterhall Liver trimmed and skinned

Kidney as removed from carcase Kidney trimmed for sale

Ox tail from slaughterhouse Ox Tail trimmed and cut

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THE DOMESTIC MARKET (cont’d)

Skirt as removed from carcase Skirt trimmed and rolled ready for sale

Heart as removed from carcase Heart with small inspection incision that preserves the greatest potential value

Unfortunately with changing lifestyles and tastes such products are less widely utilised by household consumers today than in the past. Recent reports show that the consumption of red and white meat offal’s has fallen by almost 50% since 1980 and today only represents an estimated 2 to 3% of total meat consumption. Taylor Nelson Sofres household food panel consumption figures over a similar period were reported as indicating however, that households only consumed a small proportion of this as fresh product, (i.e. with the remainder being consumed in meat products). However, recent reports have indicated that there has been a renewed interest of certain sections of the catering market, such as the higher quality restaurants, in putting red offal dishes on their menus. The hope is that this could lead to a revival in the frequency of use by households (and recent experience has shown that new/revived use of various foods in recipes in the food service sector can now be a trigger to their uptake in the household sector). Quality Meat Scotland are currently carrying out new consumer research on the demand for edible offal and the results will be circulated early next year. These reports also indicate, that of the small amount of edible offal that is consumed, much does not come from home produced livestock but from the large tonnage of edible offal that is imported into the UK Almost all of this comes into the country in a frozen form and some such as lamb offal from New Zealand are in consumer packs and are a common sight in the freezer cabinets in most supermarkets. Unfortunately the available household consumption statistics do not give reliable figures on the amount of offal consumed in the UK that comes from imported sources.

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Table 1 The main edible opportunities from 5th Quarter Materials

Product Cattle Sheep Pigs Likely Market Consumption Opportunity

Blood 3 – 3 Meat products Home

Brain (under 12 months) (under 12 months) 3 Direct, meat products Home, export Cattle lips 3 – – Meat products Home Cheeks and head trim 333Direct, meat products Home, export Jowl – – 3 Meat products Home Ears 3 – 3 Meat products Home, export Neck sweetbread (thymus) 33– Direct Home, export Snout – – 3 Direct, meat products Home, export Nose 3 – – Direct, meat products Home, export Gullet/oesophagus 333Meat products Home Hearts 333Direct, meat products Home, export Kidney 333Direct, meat products Home, export Large blood vessels * 333Meat products Export Liver 333Direct, meat products Home, export Skirt (diaphragm) 333Meat products Home, export Lungs and trachea 333Meat products Home, export Tripe (rumen, reticulem) 33– Direct, meat products Home, export Omasum 33– Direct, meat products Home, export Pigs stomach – – 3 Meat products Home, export Spleen 3 7 3 Meat products Home, export Pancreas (stomach sweetbread) 333Meat products Home, export Intestines 7 3** 3 Meat products (casings) Home, export Pizzle 33– Direct Export Pork rind – – 3 Meat products Home, export Tail 3 – 3 Direct, meat products Home, export Testicles 33– Direct, meat products Home, export Tongue 333Direct, meat products Home, export Udder 3 – – Meat products Home, export Feet 333Direct Home, export

Notes: Defined as: * Portions of aorta and the jugular Direct – prepared and cooked from fresh ** Excluding the ileum (SRM) Meat products – incorporated into manufactured products 3 Obtainable – Not commonly available as edible offal from that species 7 SRM

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Table 2 Other edible products that can be seamed out of the carcase (that may otherwise be trimmed)

Product Cattle Sheep Pigs Consumption Market Opportunity

Paddywack 33– Direct Export Silverskin 3 – – Direct Export Tendons 3 – – Direct Export Flank membrane 3 – – Direct Export Rib Paddywack 3 – – Direct Export Cartilage 33– Direct Export Knee bone 3 – – Direct Export Striploin membrane 3 – – Direct Export Achilles heel 3 – – Direct Export

Notes: 3 Obtainable – Not commonly available as edible product from that species

PRESENTATION FOR SALE

Each customer will have their own requirements for preparation - level of trim, packaging, quantity per layer, quantity per case, freezing, etc., so it is important to ensure that your staff are aware of these requirements. Some may require individual packaging for direct retail sale and this often includes pre-printed logos and product details. One supplier has produced detailed specifications with photographs to ensure there is no confusion with non- English speaking staff. Examples of these specifications for products derived from cattle are shown on the following pages with their permission, (similar specifications are available for sheep/lamb; contact for details).

Beef Short Tenderloin All red meat and fat to be removed. To be as large as possible. Pack in 25kg case with three layers to a box.

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