1 Background
4. 'Desinewed meat' is a commercial term devised
by United Kingdom industry in about 1995.[4]
It is used in the UK to describe the product that is obtained
from meaty bones or fresh meat trim using a low pressure technique
that separates the meat from the bones and the sinews and tendons
from the meat. The end result of this process, according to our
witnesses, is a product strongly resembling minced meat, in which
the muscle structure of the meat remains largely intact.[5]
It is used widely in meat products such as chicken kievs, sausages
and frozen burgers. Desinewed meat can be contrasted with 'mechanically
separated meat' or MSM, which is produced using a similar technique
but at a much higher pressure. The MSM process typically results
in significant loss or modification of the meat's muscle structure,
resulting in what the FSA referred to as a "slurry"
or "paste".[6]
The EU Food Hygiene Regulations contain the following definition
of MSM:
'Mechanically separated meat' or 'MSM' means the
product obtained by removing meat from flesh-bearing bones after
boning or from poultry carcases, using mechanical means resulting
in the loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure.[7]
MSM must be separately labelled in the ingredients
list of a product and cannot count towards its meat content. Additionally,
EU legislation on Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE)
prohibits the use of bones from ruminants (i.e. cattle, sheep
and goats) in the production of MSM.[8]
5. The FSA told us that they had represented the
UK in negotiations with the Commission from 2000-2004 as the Food
Hygiene Regulations were being drawn up. The FSA's view at the
time was that desinewed meat would not fall within the definition
of MSM and would continue to be regarded as meat.[9]
6. In December 2010 the European Commission produced
a 'Communication' in which it noted that the interpretation of
the definition of MSM found in the Food Hygiene Regulations was
not consistent across Member States. Some (including the UK) considered
that the product of low pressure mechanical separation which did
not result in a clear loss or modification of muscle structure
was not MSM, whilst others classified all meat produced by mechanical
separation as MSM. The Commission undertook to produce a guidance
document to better identify those products which should be included
in the definition of MSM, and to consider whether any legislative
amendments were appropriate.[10]
7. Between April 2011 and March 2012 discussions
took place at working group level within the EU to progress this
work. On 28 March 2012, following a series of visits to UK producers
of desinewed meat by the Food and Veterinary Office of the Commission,
the Commission wrote to the UK Government expressing "serious
concerns" about the UK's "erroneous" categorisation
of desinewed meat. The Commission's letter requested that the
use of ruminant bones for the production of desinewed meat be
immediately discontinued, and that desinewed meat produced from
the bones of non-ruminants be re-categorised as MSM. The letter
ended with the threat of "safeguarding measures" which
could "prohibit the placing on the market of relevant products
(MSM, meat preparations, meat products and minced meat) from the
UK."[11] A full
chronology of the events leading up to the Commission's request
for a moratorium has been provided by the FSA and is annexed to
their written evidence to this inquiry.[12]
4 HC Deb, 2 July 2012, Col 522W Back
5
Ev 48 Back
6
Q93 Back
7
Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of
the Council laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal
origin, Annex 1. Back
8
Regulation (EC) No 999/2001 of the European Parliament and of
the Council laying down rules for the prevention, control and
eradication of certain transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Back
9
Ev 48 Back
10
Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on the
future necessity and use of mechanically separated meat in the
European union, including the information policy towards consumers. Back
11
Ev 60 Back
12
Ev 55 Back
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