Defra Guidance

Citation

(2006), "Defra Guidance", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 36 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2006.01736dab.029

Defra Guidance

Defra Guidance

Defra Guidance to Public Sector Buyers for Burgers and Sausages.

Defra have information for the Public Sector caterers as laid out on the Defra Catering Services and Food Procurement Toolkit web site for burgers and sausages.

www.defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/procurement/foodprocure.pdf

Burgers

Ensure the percentage meat content of any processed food is clearly labelled, that it meets or exceeds the minimum requirements laid down in the new meat products regulations and complies with the definition of meat in the Food Labelling Regulations (SI 1499/1996), as amended.

Ensure that beefburgers and similar meat products (e.g. grill-steaks, patties) contain not less than 62 per cent meat content.

All meat served must conform and comply with all current legislation, in particular the Food Safety Act 1990 and The Meat Products (England) Regulations 2003 (SI 2075). Beef products shall not contain Specified Risk Material (SRM) which include the tonsils, intestines and mesentry from cattle of all ages and the entire head (excluding the tongue but including the brain, eyes and trigeminal ganglia), thymus, spleen and spinal cord from cattle over six months of age. The TSE (England) Regulations 2002 (SI 843), as amended) prohibit the use of mechanically recovered/separated meat from bovine, ovine and caprine bones in preparing food for human consumption. The Contractor shall not supply any beefburgers and similar meat products (e.g. grill-steaks, patties), which contain less than 62 per cent meat content.

62 per cent is the legal minimum for beefburgers, and 67 per cent for burgers made from pork. Buyers should aim for a higher percentage with 62 per cent lean meat suggested as best practice.

For more information on the composition of meat products - see FSA's guidance notes at www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/meatguidance.pdf

Sausages

Ensure that sausages consist of minced meat and cereal filler with other permitted ingredients in animal or synthetic casings. Animal casings shall be of the same species as the meat used. The meat used shall consist entirely of uncured, sound, wholesome meat and be free from bone, tendon and substantially free from connective tissue, rind and gristle. Offal cannot count towards the meat content and, if present, must be specifically labelled (e.g. kidney), i.e. the generic term offal cannot be used. Pork sausages must have a minimum pork content of 42 per cent of the product. Pork and beef sausages must have a minimum meat content of 30 per cent.

Pork Sausages - 42 per cent is the legal pork minimum. Buyers should aim for a higher percentage with 65 per cent lean meat suggested as best practice.

Pork & Beef Sausages - 30 per cent is the legal minimum. Buyers should aim for a higher percentage with 50 per cent lean meat suggested as best practice.

www.meatorigin.co.uk