This page explains the procedures that should be followed for the sampling and testing of minced meat, mechanically-separated meat (MSM) and other processed meat products. 

Definitions:

Minced meat means boned meat that has been minced into fragments and contains less than 1% salt.

Mechanically separated meat or MSM means the product obtained by removing meat from flesh-bearing bones after boning or from poultry carcasses, using mechanical means resulting in the loss or modification of the muscle fibre structure.

Meat preparations means fresh meat, including meat that has been reduced to fragments, which has had foodstuffs, seasonings or additives added to it or which has undergone processes insufficient to modify the internal muscle fibre structure of the meat and thus to eliminate the characteristics of fresh meat.

Meat product means processed products resulting from the processing of meat or from the further processing of such processed products, so that the cut surface shows that the product no longer has the characteristics of fresh meat.

Sampling frequency for minced meat and meat preparations*; and MSM:

For establishments producing minced meat and or meat preparations or MSM, 5 samples from a single batch need to be collected and tested each week per establishment.

For establishments which generate less than 2 tonnes of product intended to be eaten cooked per week, no statutory testing is required.*

*Please note  "ready-to-eat" products such as steak tartare [which is minced beef likely to be consumed raw are required to be tested every week for Salmonella (even if the plant only produces a nominal amount of product e.g. 10kg per week).

Sampling frequency for meat products:

The regulations do not define a sampling frequency for meat products. Food business operators should decide their own sampling frequency based upon their perception of the risks involved with their local processes. When sampling 5 samples per batch should be taken.

Sample mass and frequency of testing for Salmonella

5 samples of minced meat, meat preparations, meat product or MSM from a single batch should be taken. The samples should be selected randomly from the batch. The mass of sample to be used and the tests to be undertaken varies depending on the product and whether it is likely to be consumed raw.

Please Note: From 1st Jan 2010, any Salmonella detection in minced meat, meat preparation, MSM or meat product is unacceptable.  Therefore, plants may want to consider the savings that can be made by pooling 5 samples together for testing. The FSA have confirmed that they will allow sample pooling for Salmonella testing for minced meat, mechanically-separated meat (MSM) and other processed meat products as described in the ISO 6579:2002 standard.  Any pooled samples must be of the same sample type.  For example, it is acceptable to pool 5 minced meat samples together for testing; but not acceptable to pull 4 minced meat samples together with an MSM sample because MSM and minced meat are different sample types.  The sampling requirements are:

Sufficient information to identify the batch of product that was sampled and tested should be retained by the plant.

Salmonella test results are reported as either positively detected or absent. The assessment criteria that you will use are:

If any of the 5 test samples report a positive Salmonella detection, the test batch is unacceptable^†.

^† The derogation, where 1 in 5 minced meat or meat preparation samples could test positive and still be acceptable for the domestic market was removed on January 1^st 2010.

Since generally any Salmonella detection is unacceptable; plants may want to consider the savings that can be made by pooling 5 samples together for testing.  The FSA have confirmed that they will allow sample pooling for Salmonella testing for minced meat, mechanically-separated meat (MSM) and other processed meat products.

 

Sample mass and frequency for the other bacterial tests

Minced meat and MSM (25g per test) should additionally be tested to determine the total aerobic plate count and numbers of E. coli.  The assessment criteria you will use are:

• For total aerobes, all 5 samples must be less than 5 x 10⁶ cfu g^-1 and 3 samples must be less than 5 x 10⁵ cfu g^-1.

• For E. coli  all 5 samples must be less than 500 cfu g^-1 and 3 samples must be less than 50 cfu g^-1.

Meat preparations (25g per test) should additionally be tested to determine the numbers of E. coli. The assessment criteria you will use are:

•  all 5 samples must contain less than 5000 cfu g^-1 and 3 samples must be less than 500 cfu g^-1.

Minimum sample sizes to send to the testing laboratory

Each sample that you send to the lab will be tested for multiple bacteria.  It is important that you send sufficient product so that your lab can sub-sample your product properly.  For this reason the Agency recommends you send at least 100g of sample to the lab for testing.  The absolute minimum masses of samples that you can send for legitimate testing is shown in the table below: