Chemical safety in meat industry

Sabine Andree; Jira Wolfang; Fredi Shwagele; K.H. Schwind; Hubertus Wagner

Sabine Andree Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kulmbach, Germany
Jira Wolfang Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kulmbach, Germany
Fredi Shwagele Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kulmbach, Germany
K.H. Schwind Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kulmbach, Germany
Hubertus Wagner Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Kulmbach, Germany

Keywords: Feed, Meat, Meat products, Inorganic residues, Organic residues, Nitrite, Veterinary drugs, FMEA

Abstract

Since the Second World War the consumer behaviour in developed countries changed drastically. Primarily, there was the demand for sufficient food after a period of starvation, afterwards the desire for higher quality was arising, whereas today most people ask for safe and healthy food of high quality. Therefore a united approach comprising consistent standards, sound science and robust controls is required to ensure consumers’ health and maintain consumers’ confidence and satisfaction. Chemical analysis along the whole food chain downstream (tracking) from primary production to the consumer
and upstream (tracing) from the consumer to primary production is an important prerequisite to ensure food safety and quality. In this frame the focus of the following paper is the “chemical safety of meat and meat products” taking into account inorganic as well as organic residues and contaminants, the use of nitrite in meat products, the incidence of veterinary drugs, as well as a Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) system assessing (prioritizing) vulnerable food chain steps to decrease or eliminate vulnerability.