Standard 2.2.1 Meat and Meat Products
Purpose
This Standard includes definitions, compositional requirements and labelling requirements for meat and meat products. Processing requirements for processed meat products, including fermented comminuted meat products are contained in Standard 1.6.2.
The Agriculture and Resource Management Council of Australia and New Zealand (ARMCANZ) prescribe mandatory standards in Australia, but not New Zealand, that control the hygienic slaughter of animals for human consumption.
Table of Provisions
Division 1 – Interpretation
1 Interpretation
Division 2 – Compositional requirements
2 Deleted
3 Composition of sausage
Division 3 – Information Requirements
4 Declaration of the presence of offal in food
5 Mandatory fat declaration where a reference is made to the fat content of minced meat
6 Information required in relation to raw meat joined or formed into the semblance of a cut of meat
7 Deleted
8 Labelling of fermented comminuted processed meat
9 Labelling of fermented comminuted manufactured meat
10 Unpackaged fermented comminuted manufactured meat and fermented comminuted processed meat products
11 Meat and meat products must be derived from cattle free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Clauses
Division 1 – Interpretation
1 Interpretation
In this Code –
cured and/or dried meat flesh in whole cuts or pieces means meat flesh including any attached bone containing no less than 160 g/kg meat protein on a fat free basis.
manufactured meat means processed meat containing no less than 660 g/kg of meat.
meat means the whole or part of the carcass of any buffalo, camel, cattle, deer, goat, hare, pig, poultry, rabbit or sheep, slaughtered other than in a wild state, but does not include –
(a) the whole or part of the carcass of any other animal unless permitted for human consumption under a law of a State, Territory or New Zealand; or
(b) avian eggs, or foetuses or part of foetuses.
meat flesh means the skeletal muscle of any slaughtered animal, and any attached –
(a) animal rind; and
(b) fat; and
(c) connective tissue; and
(d) nerve; and
(e) blood; and
(f) blood vessels; and
(g) skin, in the case of poultry.
meat pie means a pie containing no less than 250 g/kg of meat flesh.
offal means those parts of the carcass such as blood, brain, heart, kidney, liver, pancreas, spleen, thymus, tongue and tripe, but excludes meat flesh, bone and bone marrow.
processed meat means a meat product containing no less than 300 g/kg meat, where meat either singly or in combination with other ingredients or additives, has undergone a method of processing other than boning, slicing, dicing, mincing or freezing, and includes manufactured meat and cured and/or dried meat flesh in whole cuts or pieces.
sausage means meat that is minced, or comminuted meat or a combination thereof, which may be combined with other foods, encased or formed into discrete units, but does not include meat formed or joined into the semblance of cuts of meat.
Division 2 – Compositional requirements
2 Deleted
3 Composition of sausage
Sausage must contain –
(a) no less than 500g/kg of fat free meat flesh; and
(b) the proportion of fat in sausage must be no more than 500g/kg of the fat free meat flesh content.
Division 3 – Information Requirements
4 Declaration of the presence of offal in food
(1) The presence of offal in a food must be –
(a) declared in the statement of ingredients; or
(b) where the food is not required to bear a label, otherwise declared to the purchaser.
(2) The presence of brain, heart, kidney, liver, tongue or tripe in a food must be declared as ‘offal’ or by the specific name of the type of offal.
(3) The presence of any other type of offal in a food must be declared by the specific name of the type of offal.
5 Mandatory fat declaration where a reference is made to the fat content of minced meat
Where express or implied reference is made in relation to the fat content of minced meat, the maximum proportion of fat in the minced meat, expressed in g/100g, must be –
(a) declared on the label on package of the food; or
(b) where the food is not required to bear a label –
(i) displayed on or in connection with the display of the food; or
(ii) provided to the purchaser upon request.
6 Information required in relation to raw meat joined or formed into the semblance of a cut of meat
Where raw meat which has been formed or joined in the semblance of a cut of meat using a binding system without the application of heat, whether coated or not, a declaration that the meat is either formed or joined, in conjunction with cooking instructions indicating how the microbiological safety of the product can be achieved –
(a) must be included in the label; or
(b) if the food is not required to be labelled, must be provided to the purchaser.
7 Deleted
8 Labelling of fermented comminuted processed meat
(1) The following names are prescribed for fermented comminuted processed meat –
(a) in the case of fermented comminuted processed meat which has not been heat treated or cooked –
‘fermented processed meat – not heat treated’; and
(b) in the case of fermented comminuted processed meat which has been heat treated –
‘fermented processed meat – heat treated’; and
(c) in the case of fermented comminuted processed meat which has been cooked –
‘fermented processed meat – cooked’.
(2) If the label on a package containing fermented comminuted processed meat has a trade name, that trade name must have in association therewith, the following word or words –
(a) in the case of fermented comminuted processed meat which has not been heat treated or cooked –
‘fermented’;
(b) in the case of fermented comminuted processed meat which has been heat treated –
‘fermented heat treated’; and
(c) in the case of fermented comminuted processed meat which has been cooked –
‘fermented cooked’.
(3) Except as specified in subclause (1) and subclause (2), the label on a package of fermented comminuted processed meat must not refer to any heating process, unless the heating process is a cooking instruction for the consumer.
Editorial note:
An example of referring to a heating process would be describing a product as ‘pasteurised’.
9 Labelling of fermented comminuted manufactured meat
(1) The following names are prescribed for fermented comminuted manufactured meat –
(a) in the case of fermented comminuted manufactured meat which has not been heat treated or cooked –
‘fermented manufactured meat – not heat treated’; and
(b) in the case of fermented comminuted manufactured meat which has been heat treated –
‘fermented manufactured meat – heat treated’; and
(c) in the case of fermented comminuted manufactured meat which has been cooked –
‘fermented manufactured meat – cooked’.
(2) If the label on a package containing fermented comminuted manufactured meat has a trade name, that trade name must have in association therewith, the following word or
words –
(a) in the case of fermented comminuted manufactured meat which has not been heat treated or cooked –
‘fermented’; and
(b) in the case of fermented comminuted manufactured meat which has been heat treated –
‘fermented heat treated’; and
(c) in the case of fermented comminuted manufactured meat which has been cooked –
‘fermented cooked’.
(3) Except as specified in subclause (1) and subclause (2), the label on a package of fermented comminuted manufactured meat must not refer to any heating process, unless the heating process is a cooking instruction for the consumer.
Editorial note:
An example of referring to a heating process would be describing a product as ‘pasteurised’.
10 Unpackaged fermented comminuted manufactured meat and fermented comminuted processed meat products
Where fermented comminuted manufactured meat or fermented comminuted processed meat product is offered for sale other than in a package, the prescribed name of the food must be displayed in connection with the food, provided that in the case of –
(a) fermented comminuted manufactured meat which has not been heat treated or cooked; and
(b) fermented comminuted processed meat product which has not been heat treated or cooked;
the words ‘not heat treated’ may be omitted.
11 Bovine meat and meat products must be derived from animals free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(1) In this clause –
minor ingredient means an ingredient that comprises no more than 300 g/kg of the food.
(2) Subject to subclause (3), bovine meat and food ingredients derived from bovines must be derived from animals free from bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
(3) Subclause (2) does not apply to –
(a) collagen from bovine skins and hides (including sausage casings produced from this type of collagen); and
(b) a minor ingredient of a processed product, where that ingredient comprises bovine fat or bovine tallow; and
(c) gelatine sourced from bovine skins and hides; and
(d) dairy products sourced from bovines.
Editorial note:
Clause 11 applies to Australia only. Bovine products imported for sale in New Zealand are regulated by the New Zealand Food (Prescribed Foods) Standard 2007 and associated import requirements.
