INVESTIGATION OF METHODS TO DETECT MECHANICALLY RECOVERED MEAT IN MEAT-PRODUCTS .1. CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION

The proximate composition (fat, moisture, nitrogen, ash and collagen) and the calcium, iron and total purine contents of samples of mechanic ally recovered meat (MRM) derived from beef, lamb, pork, chicken and t urkey were analysed. The data obtained illustrate the variability in t he composition of mechanically recovered meats derived from different meat species. The effect of including a high proportion of bones conta ining marrow in the starting material, the effect of recovery machine type (Yieldmaster and Protecon) and the effect of employing different operating conditions, were investigated MRM produced using the Yieldma ster machine was generally found to contain higher concentrations of a sh and calcium than that produced using the Protecon machine. Although operating conditions appeared to have little effect on the compositio n of mechanically recovered chicken meat, some differences were identi fied in mechanically recovered turkey and pork produced under differen t conditions. Comparison of the composition of MRM with that of meat r emoved manually, from close to the bone, from similar source materials highlighted a number of differences between the two types of product but generally MRM was not found to be consistently or significantly di fferent to hand deboned meat. It was thus concluded that MRM could be considered as meat for the purposes of meat content declarations and t hat compositional analysis could not be used to form the basis of a re liable method for the detection of mechanically recovered meat in meat products.