Chicken importers welcome new brine legislation

Although a legal maximum level for brine content in chickens is in place it appears that the local chicken meat producers are not all necessarily sticking by this rule, according to David Wolpert, CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (Amie). “Brine-based mixtures (salt, water, phosphates, f lavourants, etc) are injected into poultry meat for quality purposes – to enhance f lavour, taste, tenderness, juiciness,” according to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (Daff) “There is an optimum amount that is necessary for quality enhancement. Daff regulations currently prescribe a maximum 8% water pickup for whole carcasses only – but in practice more is injected, sometimes 30% to 60% in individual quick frozen (IQF) portions. As the consumer is paying for this injection as if it were chicken, the Daff identified this abuse as a threat to consumer safety and value for money and, as a result, contracted the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to conduct a research study on brine injection of chicken meat. “Results,” said the Daff report, “clearly indicated that brine injection of IQF chicken portions as practised in SA resulted in excessive moisture loss during defrosting and cooking of such meat. “The practice also resulted in nutrient dilution as demonstrated by the lower protein and energy content of the four commercially available IQF portions tested, compared to control portions known not to be injected with brine. The average was 6.87% protein dilution and 211.65% energy level dilution. Brine injection resulted in elevated salt levels (average 0.37% higher) in IQF portions. “This resulted in very high sodium levels that might have posed a health risk for consumers. A probable solution would be that IQF portions must be labelled as products containing added salt and sodium.” And, indeed, this was legislated by the Daff. In order to tighten up the rules on possibly non-compliant chicken producers, the Daff has given the poultry industry a year to adjust its brine levels to a maximum of 15% in IQF chicken portions. The department will also perform regular tests on brine levels to ensure compliance with the new limit. According to the Daff spokesman, Steve Galane, brine regulations have always been in place, but they have not been properly monitored. And, he added, the issue was tackled after concerns were raised about high thaw and cooking losses, leading to fears that some producers were injecting meat with brine levels above 30%. “The department was consequently requested to address the issue as soon as possible,” he said. Wolpert applauded the Daff for having submitted notice of the new brining levels to SA’s international trading partners by an official notice to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Also, he said: “We urge Daff not to bow to the pressure being exerted by certain local poultry producers whose aim is to have the new limits raised (to 25%)." INSERT The Daff has given the poultry industry a year to adjust its brine levels to a maximum of 15%.