Contemporary chemical lean determination used in the Australian meat processing industry: A method comparison.

Chemical Lean (CL) is defined as the amount of lean red meat compared to the amount of fat in a meat product. CL determination is a mandatory, AUS-MEAT Ltd. prescribed requirement for any bulk packed meat product destined for export. Fifteen methods are approved by AUS-MEAT Ltd., for use in Australian industry. Engagement with Australian meat processors indicated that a range of methods were used for CL measurements in industry, ranging from wet chemical to instrumental based techniques. Meat (consisting of beef, lamb and pork) was used in a method comparison which included Soxhlet fat extraction and microwave moisture analysis, along with instrumental techniques; near infrared reflectance and transmittance, nuclear magnetic resonance and X-Ray. The methods were compared using Passing-Bablok regression, Bland-Altman plot analysis, and robust z-scores, indicating that overall showed that each method performed satisfactorily, suitable for CL determination in the Australian meat industry.

"Clean label" as one of the leading trends in the meat industry in the world and in Poland ­ a review

The contemporary market of food products is highly variable. The reason for this is, among others the significant number of factors governing consumer choices in relation to food. Research results indicate that Polish consumers are increasingly declaring their interest in food features such as sensory and health properties, and safety. Most likely, social education, campaigns of food societies and own initiatives of food producers promoting new, "healthy" products have contributed to this. Among other things, the ever increasing consumer knowledge on the relationship between lifestyle and diet and health has become for many food businesses prerequisite for the development and marketing of new products. In food production in the world and in Poland the so-called "clean label" trend is one of fastest growing initiatives aimed at improving the health quality of foods. The "clean label" has not yet been defined in food law and is understood rather subjectively. Generally, this term is attributed to products free from "artificial" additives and produced by "natural" or based on a traditional recipe methods known to consumers. In the article, based on the available literature, selected trends in food production at the beginning of the 21st century, with particular emphasis on "clean label" have been discussed. Taking meat processing industry as an example, the measures undertaken by the companies of food industry to produce "clean label" food products have been illustrated. In addition, consumer attitudes toward contemporary trends in the food market, including meat and meat products, have been characterized. In conclusion, the need for legislative intervention to provide appropriate definition for the term "clean label" and the need for consumer education about assessment of quality of foods are emphasized.

Beta agonists in livestock feed: status, health concerns, and international trade.

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ractopamine hydrochloride and zilpaterol hydrochloride in animal feeds, usage of those compounds has been a topic of worldwide debate. Ractopamine and zilpaterol are ß-adrenergic agonists used as veterinary drugs to increase weight gain in certain animals raised for food. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established maximum residue limits for ractopamine, which were adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex). No maximum residue limits for zilpaterol have been adopted by JECFA, and new reports of animal mobility issues confront the use of this feed additive. However, many countries disagree with the Codex standards and are restricting or banning meat products containing ß agonists. The bans by major importers of U.S. meat products have prompted some to advocate that the United States use the World Trade Organization dispute settlement body. This paper looks at the developments to provide a fuller accounting of what the issues may mean to U.S. firms selling meat products containing residues of ß agonists.

Zoning and compartmentalisation as risk mitigation measures: an example from poultry production.

This paper discusses the application of compartmentalisation in the Thai commercial poultry industry. The concept was adopted to address Thailand's inability to export fresh poultry meat because of endemic avian influenza. Owing to the nature of compartmentalisation, implementation required a strong partnership between government and the private sector (the Thai poultry exporters). The paper describes the processes implemented to ensure that appropriate risk mitigation measures were in place and to guarantee the continued biosecurity of the compartments. Other Members of the World Organisation for Animal Health may be able to adapt the compartment system used in Thailand to their own similar situations and the formal international recognition of such systems would be beneficial.

USDA options for regulatory changes to enhance the prevention and control of avian influenza.

During the past decade, several examples of the ability of H5 and H7 low-pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) viruses to mutate to high-pathogenicity (HP) viruses have been documented worldwide. During this time, the introduction and persistence of an H7N2 LPAI virus in the northeast live-bird marketing system in the United States has raised concern on how to prevent the possibility of such a mutation occurring in this country. The United States has periodically experienced trade restrictions based on the occasional introduction of H5 and H7 LPAI viruses into commercial poultry and based on AI-related changes in the import requirements for poultry and poultry products of several of our trading partners. Consequently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is exploring options for how our regulatory response to H5 and H7 LPAI viruses might be revised to better protect our domestic poultry flocks from HPAI and to ensure that any interruptions in trade are scientifically supportable. The options under consideration include mandatory and voluntary measures to improve the surveillance for and control of H5 and H7 LPAI virus infections.

Improving meat inspection and control in resource-poor communities: the Nepal example.

Meat is an important source of protein and a valuable commodity in resource-poor communities. In many developing countries, lack of appropriate slaughtering facilities and unsatisfactory slaughtering techniques are causing unnecessary losses of meat as well as invaluable by-products from animal carcasses. Slaughtering places are frequently contaminated and may not be protected against dogs, rodents and insects. Meat products coming from such conditions are often deteriorated due to bacterial infection or contaminated, which may cause food poisoning or diseases in consumers. In many developing countries, regulations concerning meat inspection and/or control are inadequate or non-existent allowing consumers to be exposed to pathogens including zoonotic parasites. In Nepal, buffaloes contribute about 64% of the meat consumed, followed by goat meat (20%), pork (7%), poultry (6%) and mutton (2%). Goat and poultry meat is acceptable to all castes of people while buffalo meat is consumed mainly by the Newar ethnic group. Previously, pork was consumed only by people belonging to low castes, however, in recent years, the consumption of pork has increased in higher castes as the caste system has become more relaxed. Until recently, there were no official meat inspection regulations in the country, however, in 1999, the national government legislated an as-yet-to-be implemented Animal Slaughtering and Meat Inspection Act which mandates slaughterhouse construction and meat inspection and control. Due to the lack of implementation of the Meat Inspection Act and resultant absence of meat inspection, meat from sick or parasite-infected animals is serving as a source of infection to humans as well as other animals. In addition, meat quality is adversely affected by careless handling conditions in the slaughtering places as well as in the meat markets or shops. For improvement in animal slaughtering and meat inspection in both rural and urban areas of Nepal, several strategies are to be recommended. Sustainable capacity building should be introduced including training of veterinarians, meat inspectors and butchers as well as building of slaughter facilities. Government policies on slaughter procedures including ante-mortem examination, meat inspection and stamping of meat should be implemented. Programmes should be instituted with strong focus on prevention and control of meat-borne diseases to reduce infection risk of consumers and meat handlers and to avoid contamination of the environment. Lastly, emphasis should be put on improving the animal husbandry system in Nepal. These same actions can be undertaken in other developing countries to assist with improving meat inspection and control, thus helping with prevention and control of cysticercosis as well as other important meat-borne diseases.

[Alteration of rendering and meat hygiene legislation in the course of the BSE/TSE crisis. Validity of decisive legal provisions (1)]. / Das Tierkörperbeseitigungs- und Fleischhygienerecht im Wandel der BSE-/TSE-Krise. Zur Gültigkeit der massgeblichen Rechtsakte (1).

The decisive European legal provisions to fight bovine sponfiform encephalopathy in the context of the rendering and meat-hygiene legislation are the Commission Decisions 96/449/EC "on the approval of alternative heat treatment systems for processing animal waste with a view to the inactivation of spongiform encephalopathy agents" and 97/534/EC "on the prohibition of the use of material presenting risks as regards transmissible spongiform encephalopathies". Both decisions are based on Council Directives which do not provide the necessary authorization for these decisions by the Commission. Consequently, both have to be regarded as legally invalid. Furthermore, the legal acts to convert these decisions into German law (Rendering Plants Regulation and Meat-Hygiene Regulation) have to be considered invalid--partly due to formal and partly due to factual reasons. Because of the thus created legal uncertainty the legal provisions in question can only come fully into force after the elimination of this specifically described legal shortcomings or after clarification of the legal situation by the responsible courts.