Meat Products Regulations 2003: summary guidance for bakers
Thursday 20 January 2011
These guidance notes are designed for bakers and similar small businesses that make and sell meat products.
Meat is defined as 'skeletal muscle with naturally included or attached tissue', and the regulations set specific limits for the amount of fat and connective tissue (i.e., rind, tendon, sinew, skin etc.) allowed (see table below).
The definition specifically excludes MRM, feet and trotters, tail, and head meat but includes cheeks (masseters). It also excludes non-muscle cuts such as liver, kidney, heart etc. This means that these cannot be counted towards the declared meat content.
| Pork | Birds and Rabbits | Beef, Lamb and other species | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fat: | 30% | 15% | 25% |
| Connective tissue: | 25% | 10% | 25% |
Throughout this guidance, the phrase 'EC meat' is used to mean 'meat according to the European definition' which is the definition that applies for these regularions.
There are two important points:
- The minimum meat requirements for products such as pies and sausage rolls is expressed in terms of the European meat definition.
- You must give a QUID declaration for each meat ingredient (based on the new definition). Paragraph 5 of the guidance describes the way in which this declaration is presented to the customer.
