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Brussels, 26 june 1998
EURO COOP proposal for a Definition of "Meat"
EURO COOP is extremely concerned about variations and inconsistencies throughout the EU in the definition of "meat" used in meat products and the labelling of these products, which are contrary to consumers' rights to make informed choices when purchasing meat products.
The lack of a harmonised definition of "meat", i.e. setting out which parts of an animal carcass can be classified as meat for use in meat products, will undermine the European principle of percentage declarations on products.
Euro Coop stresses the importance of a European definition of meat in the context of the forthcoming implementation of the quantitative ingredients declarations' criteria (QUID).
Euro Coop, in particular, proposes the following:
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Meat should be defined as:
- Skeletal muscle, with fat and connective tissue which naturally belongs to it and from which larger tendons have been removed.
The maximum fat content and maximum level of connective tissue for different types of meat will have to be established.
Where the total amount of fat or connective tissue in a product exceeds the maximum level then the fat or connective tissue must be declared in the ingredient list as below:
The following parts may be used :
- Organs: thymus, brain, heart, liver, lung, kidney, poultry gizzard, and intestines.
- Meat-by-products: skin, blood protein, fat, rind, connective tissue, greaves and also mechanically recovered meat.
Where these organs and meat-by-products are used, they must be declared in the ingredients' list.
- The following parts may not be used :
- hooves, claws, feathers, uterus, udders, bones, eyes, tonsils and spleen.
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