What Is Meat?

LETTER LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WHAT IS MEAT? The debate rages on So, we received an insightful response to a recent letter to the editor regarding the use of meat related terms for protein alternatives, and it makes for interesting reading. Thank you to Francois Mellet for taking the time to lay out his thoughts on this issue. 1. What is meat? mainly voluntary muscles, fat, and connective tissue associated with muscle. Worldwide meat is the edible portions of bone, with various tissues such as Mechanically deboned meat and "offal" a slaughtered animal, also known as the nerve tissue, connective tissue, blood is excluded from this point of view. flesh of animals. Edible portions, in the vessels, residual blood, lymphatic order of deriving it in an abattoir, are: tissue, tendons, cartilage and fascia. 2. What did the old regulations • Hygienically collected blood. Some of these parts are further stipulate? • The internal part of skins, or the processed into blood pigments, blood Mincemeat was simply minced or complete skin in the case of pigs proteins, collagen and gelatine, the ground muscular tissue and nothing and poultry. latter two derived from skins, tendons, else. It had to contain 60% lean muscle. • Red offal, also known as organ meats, cartilage and bones. The regulations further differentiated namely tongues, livers, kidneys, hearts, Dressed carcasses sometimes between Processed Meat and spleens and lungs in some cases, tails includes the heads, kidneys and skins. Manufactured Meat. Processed Meat was in some cases, necks in some cases, as Every food product made from a meat (flesh) that underwent a process of well as brains and reproductive organs combination of the above is a meat cooking, curing, smoking and/or drying in some cases. product. There is a new world trend and had to contain at least 95% meat, • Edible casings derived from the to declare the meat content of a with a short list of permitted additives. digestive tract. product as the muscle content with a Manufactured Meat had to undergo • The dressed carcass, consisting of specified maximum amount of fat and at least one of the processes above in www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | MAY 2021 | 3 LETTER addition to mincing and/or grinding and 10 May 2019 anything goes for raw offal inside, stuffed into offal derived had to contain at least 75% meat. Due meat products; there are no regulations, from the intestines to make it a sausage. to the additional permitted ingredients only a draft. Minced meat is no longer Even more will be expected from in Manufactured Meat, it did not have simply ground meat. It may contain the consumer to know in future, i.e. to contain any animal protein or animal various additions and replacements the difference between a "raw banger, fat. An analytical nitrogen percent of meat proteins and fats. In the draft raw griller, raw braaiwors" and a "raw determination multiplied by 6.25 plus regulations on raw processed meat sizzler", not to mention the difference an analytical fat percent content had products the shrewdly named sausages between a "Ground Burger/Ground to add up to at least 75%. Very simple; are now also described, together Patty, Burger Patty/Hamburger Patty/ very concise. Vegan products covered. with a variety of raw meat patties and Meatball/Frikkadel, Value burger/Value If it looks like meat, it must provide the misleading names, making a distinction patty/Value hamburger/Value meatball/ same nutritional value as meat was the between minced and ground meat. Value frikkadel/Any other similar name, principle. This principle is still followed The English dictionary is being rewritten Economy Burger/Econo Burger/Economy for all emulsified meat products (Viennas right here in RSA. Tyrannosaurus Rex Patty/Econo Patty/Budget Burger/Econo and Polonies), but with a reduced total ate meat, flesh, 80 million years ago. It Hamburger patty/Budget Hamburger of the fractions to 60%. seems like by the year 2021 we are still patty/Econo meatball/Econo frikkadel/Any Certain raw meat sausage has had trying to figure out what that was. Wow, other similar name", quoted directly from separate standards since 1992 and has we can even take a vote that meat now the draft. not yet been repealed. This is a separate grows on plants. I know for sure that we We will have to wait for the gazette subject for discussion. Briefly, it was born would not be able to fool my friend T. Rex. version to start studying the differences. out of bad publicity on offal (or organ I may be wrong. The braai companion The current proposed values do not meats) in boerewors. A standard was "skilpadjies", liver wrapped in internal fat, correlate with any other country on this required for this sausage that was seen contains no meat according to the new planet and must have fallen from the as a uniquely South African high-quality draft regulations. It is fair to conclude sky or from another planet. I forgot to product made from muscle and fat that skilpadjies grow on trees without a mention that some of these products may only. This led to a definition of meat as doubt. Either way, they no longer belong be "Extra lean, Lean Trim, Extra trimmed pertaining to boerewors. This definition in the meat counter and they have to of fat or any similar wording"; "Lean, Trim, was erroneously interpreted as a new move to the fruit and veg section. It will Trimmed of fat or any similar wording", concise definition of meat applicable to take a while, the ones I know don't walk or "Regular", also quoted directly from the all meat products. Species sausages all that fast. draft, with two additional different word were thrown in as an afterthought with The motivation is clear: to link choices of the same. One has to assume a lower meat content than boerewors. deceptive names to ever declining meat that the word processor must have This in turn lead to shrewd creative content in meat products. It is not clear made a mistake, not the operator of the thinking to flood the market with cheap how this should be beneficial to the word processor. Or there may be valid braai wors and boeries. meat industry or the consumer. Most reasoning behind these additions for consumers still do not know that a raw the consumer to memorize. 3. What is the implication of the boerewors must contain 90% meat with As an industrial meat scientist, I repeal of the 1930 regulations? no offal inside, or that a raw beef (species) must say: "You've got me! Please help Since the unannounced repeal on sausage must contain 75% meat with no me out here?" 4 | MAY 2021 | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za SANBWA This month, we turn our focus to the bottled water industry and the South African National Bottled Water Association. SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL BOTTLED WATER ASSOCIATION (SANBWA) 1. When was SANBWA formed? SANBWA was formed in 1997 by several proactive water bottlers who recognised the need for the natural bottled water industry to set standards with which to regulate their industry. These bottlers researched the accepted norms, standards and government regulations of more established natural bottled water markets. This enabled them to provide input for new South African standards, in line with the European quality guidelines, with which to regulate and monitor the quality of local bottlers. This new South African legislation was published in the Government Gazette in July 2006 and promulgated a year later. 2. What is the purpose of your association? SANBWA’s vision is to be the leading authority and trusted champion of safe, healthy, legally compliant and environmentally responsible packaged water for human consumption in South Africa. Our mission is to ensure that the quality of members’ bottled water meets local legislation and internationally accepted standards, and to promote the SANBWA logo on a bottle as a seal of quality and safety to all stakeholders. At the same time, we work with our members to reduce the industry's impact on the environment, as well as continuously improve and conserve their predominantly ground water sources. We also promote consumer understanding of bottled water and interact with all stakeholders to promote SANBWA’s cause. 3.Who is covered by your activities? SANBWA is a broad-based association and has several different types of membership options. 4. What are the benefits of membership with The two main categories are bottler members your association? and affiliate members. Affiliate members can For bottlers include academic institutions, retailers and • The main benefit for bottlers of becoming a SANBWA companies providing products and services to member is that the SANBWA Bottled Water Standard ensures the bottled water industry. conformance to all legal, food safety and quality legislation FEATURED ASSOCIATION www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | MAY 2021 | 5 SANBWA and best practice. For small bottlers, it additionally offers a The SANBWA Standard sensible system of progression while its compatibility with GFSI • In South Africa, bottled water is a food product category of standards ensures relevance for bottlers that would its own and is regulated by the Department of Health as like to advance to Quality Management Systems and such. The legislation (R718) was ratified in 2007 in line with Certification. Other benefits include cost savings, access to representations and recommendations from SANBWA, as well knowledge, industry promotion, industry representation, as international trends, and is among the most stringent and an industry voice. worldwide. But it is not the only legislation bottlers must For affiliates comply with. They also need to meet packaging and labelling, • While many of the activities listed above also have relevance environmental and product safety requirements, for for affiliate members, the benefit for affiliate members is that, example.

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