Results of the proficiency test - histological detection of non-meat ingredients like processed and adulterated connective tissue in cooked ham.

摘要

According to national regulations such as the National Meat Regulation and Standards of the German Food Code, conventionally and industrially produced cooked ham does not contain non-meat ingredients except certain permitted food additives. Nevertheless, products containing non-meat ingredients like protein hydrolysates, processed and adulterated connective tissue, emulsion of chopped meat, Functional Meat Proteins (FMP), milk and dairy proteins are traded on the German market under the label "cooked ham". The customary name "cooked ham" for such products is incorrect and misleading based on article 16 of the Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and section 11 of the German Food and Feed Law. The identification of above mentioned non-meat ingredients by chemical or immunological methods is often uncertain. At the 58th ALTS-convention the histological procedure was considered as a suitable method for the detection of such non-meat ingredients in cooked ham. This paper describes histological findings of non-meat ingredients like processed and adulterated connective tissue in cooked ham by means of a histological proficiency test. The results show the applicability and suitability of histological procedures to detect non-meat ingredients like hydrolysed collagen in cooked ham.