POULTRY BRINE INJECTION DAFF AND DTI PRESENTATION

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POULTRY BRINE INJECTIONDAFF AND DTI PRESENTATION
PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,
FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

• Dr. NTSHABELE
• DIRECTOR FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE

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Presentation Outline

• Background on the regulators DAFF DOH NCRS
• The Brine Injection Issue
• The Stakeholder Communication
• The Preliminary Results
• The Action Plan

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The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries

• The Directorate Food Safety and Quality
  Assurance administers the poultry meat
  regulations under the Agricultural Product
  Standards Act, 1990 (Act No. 119 of 1990)
• The current regulations regarding control over
  the sale of Poultry Meat No. R. 946 of 27 March
  1992, as amended by government notice No. R. 988
  of 25 July 1997 gives provision to tenderize the
  breast meat of a carcass
• These regulations address mainly carcasses. The
  poultry market has over the years moved to
  portions in the form of Individually Quick Frozen
  (IQF).
• The maximum water pick up and/or chemical
  treatment of a carcass allowed is 8 in these
  Regulations

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The Department of Health

• The Department of Health (DoH) administers the
  Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act, 1972
  (Act 54 of 1972) as amended by Act, No. 39 of
  2007, with effect from 27 March 2009
• Section 2 prohibits the sale, or manufacture or
  import for sale, of any foodstuff  to which any
  substance has been added so as to increase the
  mass or volume of such foodstuff with the object
  to deceive.
• The new Food Labeling and Advertising Regulations
  were published in the Government Gazette No. R
  146 of 1 March 2010, implementation thereof comes
  into effect 24 months from the date of
  publication (i.e. from 1 March 2012).
• 24 months period was as a result of request from
  the industry to ensure compliance with
  regulations

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The Department of Health

• Regulation 26(2) in the new labeling Regulations
  No. R 146 addresses the need for declaration of
  the presence of one or more valuable or
  characterising ingredients, or in the case where
  the description has the same effect, then ingoing
  percentage of this ingredient at the time of
  manufacture. This is called Quantitative
  Ingredient Declaration (QUID).
• In this case labeling required QUID to indicate
  presence for both meat and added water (brine
  included) on the main panel in bold capital
  letters at least 3 mm in height. For example
• Sunshine Chicken portions
• Chicken (92), water (8)
• A definition for brine was also included in
  R146/2010 i.e Brine is a solution of sodium
  chloride (salt) in water where the solution is
  used for curing, flavouring and/or preserving the
  foodstuff.

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The National Regulator for Compulsory
Specifications

• The National Regulator for Compulsory
  Specifications (NRCS) was established on the 1st
  September 2008, under the auspices of the
  National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications
  Act, (NRCS Act), Act 5 of 2008. It emerged as an
  independent organization from the original
  Regulatory Division of the South African Bureau
  of Standards and is defined as a Section 3a
  organization under the Public Finance Management
  Act.
• The NRCS is primarily responsible for the
  administration of three Acts that reside under
  its jurisdiction, namely
• the NRCS Act 5 of 2008,
• the Trade Metrology Act 77 of 1973 and
• the National Building Regulations and Building
  Standards Act 103 of 1977.
• The NRCS also administers regulations that fall
  under the jurisdiction of other government
  departments, as per agreements reached with the
  respective departments.
• The NRCS serves to regulate the adherence to
  compulsory specifications and technical
  regulations in South Africa.

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The National Regulator for Compulsory
Specifications

• This regulatory function addresses flaws in the
  market system, whereby businesses may produce,
  import or sell products or services that may harm
  the consumer and / or the environment or may fall
  short of what is promised in terms of quantity
  (trade metrology) or safety.
• Poultry meat is regulated by SANS 289 and SANS
  458 under the Sale of Goods regulations published
  in GG 30003 dated 21 June 2007
• SANS 458 also prescribes specific procedures to
  be applied when testing frozen products where
  water is added or where it is glazed.
• NRCS will amend their standards to prevent
  injections for weight gain/yield enhancement
  Poultry meat may not be injected with any liquid
  or substance purely for weight gain

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Presentation Outline

• Background on the regulators DAFF DOH NCRS
• The Brine Injection Issue
• The Stakeholder Communication
• The Preliminary Results
• The Action Plan

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The Brine Injection Issue

• Brine injection was identified as a detrimental
  quality factor when administered beyond
  descriptions in DAFF regulations.
• DAFF commissioned the Agricultural Research
  Council (ARC) to conduct research on brine
  injection
• Terms of reference for the brine injection
  research
• quality of injected poultry meat w.r.t chemical
  composition and
• oxidative stability to determine the maximum
  level of injection to be recommended.

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Presentation Outline

• Background on the regulators DAFF DOH NCRS
• The Brine Injection Issue
• The Stakeholder Communication
• The Preliminary Results
• The Action Plan

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Stakeholder Communication

• DAFF, NRCS and DOH formed a technical Regulators
  committee on agricultural products
• At a meeting on 24 August 2010 it was decided
  that a joint survey between NRCS and inspectors
  form DAFF be conducted to determine an average
  -rate at which injection takes place in the
  industry.
• The amounts of brine injection varies per
  abattoir and per their clients specifications
• Interested parties are or will be invited for
  specific meetings e.g Consumer unions, South
  African Poultry Association (SAPA)

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Presentation Outline

• Background on the regulators DAFF DOH NCRS
• The Brine Injection Issue
• The Stakeholder Communication
• The Preliminary Results
• The Action Plan

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The Preliminary Results

• Adulteration
• High moisture loss during thawing and cooking
• Potential health risks

• Specific results
• - Nutrient dilution
• - Higher sodium
• levels
• - Elevated salt levels

Final report is scheduled for April 2011
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Presentation Outline

• Background on the regulators DAFF DOH NCRS
• The Brine Injection Issue
• The Stakeholder Communication
• The Preliminary Results
• The Action Plan

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The Action Plan

• DAFF is currently reviewing the poultry
  regulations
• The final report of the research will assist DAFF
  on how to effectively regulate brine injection
  technique
• Research results which fall under other
  departments will be officially communicated
• DAFF inspectors will continue to conduct
  inspections and prioritize their action plan to
  ensure compliance with the current regulations
• DAFF will continue with a research in the
  financial year 2011/2012 to determine effective
  methods for inspection purposes

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• THANK YOU