Clarification needed to end desinewed meat confusion

27-May-2012 - Last updated on 18-Jul-2024 at 13:40 GMT

Clarification of the rules governing desinewed meat are needed urgently, said Neil Griffiths

Further clarification of the European Commission’s new rules covering desinewed meat is needed urgently, warns a leading food law expert.

In this podcast, Neil Griffiths, chief executive of food law firm SVA, tells FoodManufacture.co.uk the Commission should act quickly and decisively to end the confusion, which is plaguing the UK meat processing sector.

Speaking at the British Meat Processors Association’s (BMPA’s) conference on May 24, Griffiths explained that apparent confusion between the Commission's and the Food Standards Agency's definition of desinewed meat be resolved as soon as possible.

Mechanically separated meat

In particular, he urged greater clarification of the Commission's definition of mechanically separated meat (MSM) and how that applied to beef, lamb, poultry and pork products.

From May 26, all pork and poultry products previously labelled as DSM must be labelled as MSM.

The cost of complying with the new rules has been estimated at about £200M

Meanwhile, speaking at the same conference, food and farming minister Jim Paice pledged to fight new rules.

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