Luncheon Meat Regulations

LUNCHEON MEAT [S.L.231.22 1 SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 231.22 LUNCHEON MEAT REGULATIONS 25th September, 1991 LEGAL NOTICE 103 of 1981. Title.1. The title of these Regulations is Luncheon Meat Regulations. Interpretation.2. In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires "edible offal" means such offals as have been passed as fit for human consumption and includes lungs (but not if the animal from which the lungs have been taken has been scalded by immersion in hot water) but does not include ears, scalp, snouts (including lips and muzzle), mucous membrane, sinews, genital system, udders, intestines and urinary bladder; "meat" means the edible part of any mammal slaughtered in a slaughterhouse; "packaged" means packed in a container manufactured of mater ia ls which do not permit contaminat ion under normal conditions of handling; "poultry meat" means the edible part of any domesticated bird including chicken, turkey, duck, goose, guinea-fowl or pigeon slaughtered in duly authorised premises. Applicability and composition. 3. (1) These regulations shall apply to products designated as luncheon meat which have been packed in any suitable material. (2) Luncheon meat shall be prepared from meat which has been comminuted and cured and which may have been smoked. Apart from meat, edible offal and poultry meat may be used in the preparation of the product. The product may or may not contain binders. (3) Luncheon meat shall contain the following ingredients: meat, water, curing ingredients consisting of salt (sodium chloride) and sodium or potassium nitrite. (4) Luncheon meat may contain any of the following: edible offal, fat, cured and uncured pork, rind, poultry meat; carbohydrate and protein binders; meal, flour or starch prepared from grain, or potato or sweet potato; bread, biscuit or bakery products; milk powder, skimmed milk powder, butter milk powder, caseinate, whey powder, egg protein, dried blood serum, soya flour, soya protein, textured vegetable protein, groundnut protein, wheat gluten, 2 [S.L.231.22 LUNCHEON MEAT lupin meal, sunflower meal; sucrose, invert sugar, dextrose (glucose), lactose, maltose, glucose syrup (including corn syrup); spices, seasonings and condiments; hydrolized protein. (5) Luncheon meat shall conform with the requirements laid down in the First Schedule as regards meat and fat content. Quality and hygiene. 4. (1) The ingredients from which the product is prepared shall be of a quality suitable for human consumption and free from objectionable odours and flavours. (2) No meat, including poultry meat and their products, shall be accepted by an establishment where luncheon meat is prepared or manufactured unless the animals (including poultry) from which such meat or products have been derived have been subjected to ante mortem and post mortem inspection and found free from disease at the time of slaughter and fit for human consumption. Such animals shall not after such inspection or inspections be or have been exposed to contamination or processed or handled or subjected to the addition of any harmful substance which renders them unfit for human consumption. (3) The meat, including poultry meat and their products, referred to in sub-regulat ion (2) shall be handled, s tored or transported in such establishments, in such a manner that will p r o t e c t s u c h m e a t a n d p r o d u c t s f r o m c o n t a m i n a t i o n a n d deterioration. (4) The final product shall be clean and substantially free from staining and contamination from the container. The meat and poultry meat shall be uniformly and thoroughly cured and the product shall be capable of being sliced. Food additives. (5) Food additives in luncheon meat shall conform with the requirements laid down in the Second Schedule. Heat treatment. 5. The heat treatment to which the product has been subjected and the type of cure and packaging shall be sufficient to ensure that the p roduc t p resen t s no pub l i c hea l th haza rd and remains wholesome under conditions of storage, transport and sale. Packaging. 6. (1) Luncheon meat products that are heat treated after packaging shall be packaged in hermetically sealed containers which do not present any health hazard or permit contamination under the condit ion of handling, s torage, t ransport and sale indicated on the label. The containers shall be clean and show the characteristics of sound containers and where applicable to the type of container, shall show evidence of vacuum. (2) Luncheon meat products that are heat treated before packaging shall be packaged in such a way that the product will withstand spoilage and present no public health hazard under the conditions of handling, storage, transport and sale indicated on the label. The containers shall not present any health hazard or permit contamination under normal conditions of handling. They shall be clean and, where applicable, show evidence of vacuum. LUNCHEON MEAT [S.L.231.22 3 (3) When processed containers are cooled in water, the water shall be of potable quality or suitably treated so as not to constitute a public health hazard. (4) The final product shall be handled and stored in such a manner as to avoid contamination of the product. Labelling.7. (1) The label on the container shall designate the nature of the product as "Luncheon Meat". Such label shall also show a declaration as to the presence of binders and of edible offal and a declaration indicating the species of animal from which the meat is derived shall be given in connection with the name of the product if their omission would mislead the consumer. (2) A complete list of ingredients shall be declared on the label in descending order of proportion. The specific names shall be used for ascorbic acid, isoascorbic acid and their sodium salts, and ni tr i tes (potassium and sodium). Added phosphates may be declared by class title "phosphates". The list of ingredients shall indicate the species of animals from which the meat is derived. (3) The net contents shall be declared by weight in metric. (4) The name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor, importer, exporter or vendor of the product shall be declared on the label, as well as the country of origin of the product. The country in which the processing is performed shall be considered to be the country of origin for the purpose of labelling. Each container shall be embossed or otherwise permanently marked to identify the establishment producing the luncheon meat, as well as the batch number of the lot. (5) For products which are not fully shelf-stable, i.e. which may be expected not to keep for at least one year in normal conditions of storage and sale, adequate storage instructions shall b e g i v e n o n t h e l a b e l . T h e s e i n s t r u c t i o n s s h a l l s t a t e t h e recommended maximum temperature or conditions of storage and, in the case of products sold to the consumer, an indication of the recommended maximum period of storage in specified conditions. Luncheon meat to comply with regulations, etc. Cap. 231. 8. (1) No person may import, manufacture, export or sell any luncheon meat which does not comply with the requirements of these Regulations or which has not been produced in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations or of the Food, Drugs and Drinking Water Act, or of any regulations made thereunder. S.L. 231.17. (2) Any luncheon meat which is allowed to be imported in accordance with the provision of sub-regulation (1) shall on importation, be accompanied by the document or documents as are referred to in regulation 9 of the Canned Food Regulations. 4 [S.L.231.22 LUNCHEON MEAT FIRST SCHEDULE Regulation 3(5) SECOND SCHEDULE Regulation 4(5) Product with binder Product without binder and edible offal (but may include heart, tongue or head meat from mammals) Minimum ingoing meat content 80% * 90% Maximum fat content 35% 30% * The meat content includes meat, edible offal and poultry meat. Additive Maximum level calculated on the total net content of the final product Ascorbic acid and sodium salt } 500 mg/kg (expressed as ascorbic acid)singly or in combination.Isoascorbic acid and sodium salt Natural flavourings as defined in the Codex Alimentar ius and their identical synthetic equivalents Limited by Good Manufacturing Practice. Sodium citrate Limited by Good Manufacturing Practice. 5’- Guanylate, disodium 500 mg/kg expressed as guanylic acid. 5’- Inosinate, disodium 500 mg/kg expressed as inosinic acid. Monosodium glutamate 5000 mg/kg expressed as glutamic acid. Nitrite, potassium and/or sodium salts 125 mg /kg t o t a l n i t r i t e exp re s sed a s sodium nitrite. Added phosphates (mono-, di- and poly-) , sodium and potassium salts 3000 mg/kg (expressed as P2O5) singly or in combination. Glucono-delta-lactone 3000 mg/kg. Erythrosine (Cl 45430) to replace loss of colour (for the product with binder only) 15 mg/kg.