Meat water content

Mr Joe Borg ('Meat water content', December, 27) insists that my letter of December 19 avoided the real issue.

It is relevant to point out which the real issue is. Mr Borg's earlier letters clearly asked the authorities concerned, including the Malta Standards Authority, whether there are any standards concerning the meat water content.

The answer by the Malta Standards Authority was unequivocal: no, there are no European or international standards dealing with such an issue.

The letter also detailed the reasons why this is so. While Mr Borg states that he is not "referring to water content naturally found in all living creatures", the authority insists that it is precisely because of this natural water content that there are no standards dealing with meat water content.

To provide more information to readers, may I quote from the website of the Food Safety and Inspection Service United States Department of Agriculture (Washington, D.C.) which dealt generally with meat water content. It was clearly stated that:

"Meat and poultry is composed of muscle, connective tissue, fat and bone. People eat meat for the muscle. The muscle is approximately 75 per cent water (although different cuts may have more or less water) and 20 per cent protein with the remaining five per cent representing a combination of fat, carbohydrate and minerals. The percentage of water in meat varies with the type of muscle, the kind of meat, the season of the year, and the pH of the meat. Fat in meats is found both between muscles and within muscles. In both locations, fat contributes to overall flavour and juiciness in meats.

"The amount of water, or moisture, present in meat and poultry may surprise consumers. An eye of round roast is 73 per cent water before cooking. The same roast after roasting contains 65 per cent water. A whole broiler-fryer contains 66 per cent water before cooking and 60 per cent afterwards. Leaner meat and poultry contain more protein and less fat, and since water is a component of protein (but not fat), a leaner cut will contain more water".

With regard to beef in particular, it was stated that: "There is no added water in any fresh, unprocessed beef. Beef is washed during slaughter, but the small amount of water would be absorbed on the surface of the meat, not bound to the protein or inside the tissue, and would quickly evaporate or drip out. Beef is often ground while partially frozen. Because ice crystals are in the frozen beef there may appear to be more liquid in it".

With regard to what Mr Borg refers to as the process of "hydrogenisation", there seems to be no process with such name. If, however, there exists a process which is aimed at achieving the results described by Mr Borg, it is important to point out two things. There are no standards regulating meat water content and therefore such practices would not be in violation of any standards and, secondly and more importantly, it does not fall within the competence of the Malta Standards Authority to vet or otherwise check the actual meat water content.

Finally, Mr Borg calls upon the Malta Standards Authority to give a "better answer". A very good answer which has been elaborated in this letter has already been submitted.

The authority would also like to add that it is not within its competence to "allow" or otherwise any practice adopted by any economic operator.

The role of the authority is indeed a different one with its objective being the promotion of standards and standards-related activities and also to advise the industry.

Enforcement does not fall within its competence. The authority hopes that this reply settles the issue. This notwithstanding, however, readers may contact the authority should they feel they require any further information regarding this issue or any other issue related to voluntary or compulsory standards and conformity assessment.

(Dr Cachia is legal adviser, Malta Standards Authority).