New salami standard proposed

New salami standard proposed

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is looking to develop a New Zealand standard for producing Uncooked Comminuted Fermented Meats (UCFM), such as salami.

The move comes after NZFSA identified a number of instances where butchers and processors were unaware of essential manufacturing procedures that ensure the microbial safety of UCFM products.

UCFM products primarily contain beef and pork meat, salt, nitrite, glucose, spices, seasonings and ideally a starter culture (to assist fermentation).

The ingredients are mixed and comminuted (reduced in size) to produce a batter. The mixture is then stuffed into a casing, fermented and dried (and sometimes smoked) to create the end product.

If the fermentation, maturation and drying steps are not undertaken correctly, there are risks of contamination with harmful microbial pathogens.

NZFSA recently assessed existing data and information on the way UCFM products are made and whether procedures adequately controlled microbial pathogens, in particular shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC).

STEC can be found in raw meat used in UCFM product – although in New Zealand these STEC levels are generally low. The assessment showed that, in a small number of butcher and processor premises, the control levels may be insufficient.

Tim Knox, Director of NZFSA's New Zealand Standards Group, says: "New Zealand has not had any notified human illness cases attributed to eating UCFM products and the likelihood of a food safety issue occurring is relatively low. However, the consequences of STEC infection – particularly for susceptible groups like young children – can be severe."

Overseas foodborne illness outbreaks of STEC have been linked to UCFM products. In 1995 one person died and more than 20 children were hospitalised after eating contaminated product in Australia.

The proposed standard will be in keeping with overseas trends in salami manufacturing and would help ensure that New Zealanders are getting a safe product.

Although this is the first proposed standard for UCFM production, NZFSA believes many New Zealand producers are already using the existing Australian standard or the New Zealand Pork Quality Improvement Process (PQIP) Code of Practice.

The introduction of a standard would not be a problem for these producers but could affect smaller producers who may not have a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) system in place.

However, working to an agreed New Zealand standard would enable UCFM manufacturers to demonstrate that they produce a safe product. They would need to show that the fermentation, maturation and drying processes reduce the microbial load in the final product to a safe level.

The public discussion document and the proposed standard is being distributed for comment to UCFM producers, including wholesale processors, retail butchers and dual operator butchers, as well as industry associations and other relevant government agencies.

Copies can be downloaded from the website: www.nzfsa.govt.nz or by calling 04 894 2500. Submissions close on 30 March 2007.

ENDS

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