Meat Products

Are there any analytical indicators that make it possible to classify meat productions either as meat preparations or as meat-based products?

The classification of meat productions as preparations and products, according to current legislation, is based only on visual criteria, which are related to the maintenance or to the loss of the characteristics of the fibrous structure of the fresh meat muscle. In particular, meat-based products must have a cutting surface that makes it possible to ascertain the fresh meat characteristics loss. On the basis of these definitions, objective analytical parameters have not yet been identified and the histological analysis of the muscle tissue for the determination of the percentage of structured/unstructured fibres is the only analysis capable of providing a classification of the two types of production.

Does the addition of permitted additives for the products convert a meat preparation into a meat-based product?

The current legislation for the use of additives in foodstuffs Reg 1333/2008 and subsequent amendments is more restrictive for meat preparations than for products; in the case of preparation, due to the reduced shelf-life, the use of preserving agents is not allowed.

If a meat production has undergone technological treatments (drying, acidification, etc.) that have not led to the complete loss of the muscular structure, according to the legislation it is classified as meat production. In this case the use of additives not envisaged for meat preparations (for example, preserving agents etc.) is not allowed. In fact, a meat production cannot be classified as a product only because of the use of additives permitted for meat-based products.

The N-nitroso compounds (NOCS) are all the substances in which there is a bond between specific functional groups (eg amino acids, amines, thiol groups, carbon-carbon double bonds, etc.) and nitric oxide (NO). The nitroso compounds are molecules potentially dangerous for health as they help-develop inflammatory processes in the intestinal tissue. They can be of endogenous origin, as they are produced in the human body following the release of nitric oxide by enzymatic conversion of some amino acids, and of exogenous origin, as they can be formed under certain conditions in foods such as cured meats.

The formation of nitroso compounds in meat products depends on the combination of various factors, such as the presence of haem iron, the addition of nitrite, the oxidative stress and the processing methods. Currently it is possible to produce cold cuts based on consumer health requirements by improving the profile of meat raw materials, using new ingredients to replace conventional preserving agents (or in combination with small quantities) and modifying some production processes.

Are there any analytical techniques to quantify nitroso compounds in cured meats?

The quantification of nitroso compounds in cured meats is possible thanks to a new analytical technique that exploits the principle of chemiluminescence specific for the analysis of nitric oxide (NO). The sample is introduced into a reaction chamber in which a reagent solution is present. The nitric oxide released is conveyed by a stream of nitrogen into the instrument for analysis and quantified by means of a calibration curve.