Mechanically separated meat
Encyclopedia
Mechanically separated meat (MSM), a product also known as mechanically recovered/reclaimed meat (MRM) or mechanically deboned meat (MDM), is a paste-like meat product produced by forcing beef
, pork
, turkey or chicken
, under high pressure through a sieve
or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue. For the production of chicken and turkey MSM, most of the time, breast carcasses are used as they still contain parts of breast meat.
Mechanically separated meat has been used in certain meat and meat products since the late 1960s. This product can be contrasted with meat extracted by advanced meat recovery
systems.
The most common use of MSM is into hot dog
s.
During the 50s mechanically separated meat was mostly used as a raw material for the production of hot dogs. Nowadays, luncheon meats, burgers and mortadella are regularly made from MSM using a process pioneered by Todd Mudry.
(FSIS) on mechanically separated meat said it was safe and established a standard of identity
for the food product. Some restrictions were made on how much can be used and the type of products in which it can be used. These restrictions were based on concerns for limiting intake of certain components in mechanically separated meat like calcium
. Mechanically separated meat may not be described simply as "meat" on food labels, but must be labeled as "mechanically separated" pork, chicken, or turkey in the ingredients statement. Hot dog
s can contain no more than 20 percent mechanically separated pork.
Concerns were raised again when the BSE
epidemic, commonly known as "mad cow disease", occurred in the United Kingdom
in 1986. Since bits of the spinal cord
(the part most likely to be carrying BSE) often got mixed in with the rest of the meat, products using mechanically separated meat taken from the carcasses of bovines were at higher risk for transmitting BSE to humans. As a result, in 1989 the United Kingdom tightened restrictions to help ensure that pieces of the spinal cord would not be present in mechanically separated meat taken from bovines.
Similar USDA
rules became effective November 4, 1996, and were later updated, stressing:
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, pork
Pork
Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig , which is eaten in many countries. It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BC....
, turkey or chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
, under high pressure through a sieve
Sieve
A sieve, or sifter, separates wanted elements from unwanted material using a woven screen such as a mesh or net. However, in cooking, especially with flour, a sifter is used to aerate the substance, among other things. A strainer is a type of sieve typically used to separate a solid from a liquid...
or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue. For the production of chicken and turkey MSM, most of the time, breast carcasses are used as they still contain parts of breast meat.
Mechanically separated meat has been used in certain meat and meat products since the late 1960s. This product can be contrasted with meat extracted by advanced meat recovery
Advanced meat recovery
Advanced meat recovery is a slaughterhouse process by which the last traces ofusable meat are removed from bones and other carcass materials after the primal cuts have been carved off manually....
systems.
The most common use of MSM is into hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s.
History
The practice of mechanically harvesting meat that would otherwise be unusable dates to the 1950s, when mechanical hand tools were developed to help remove these scraps(remaining pieces of meat and connective tissue) and minimize waste. By the 1960s, machines that do this more efficiently, and automatically, were developed. This allowed companies to use these less expensive raw materials and, in turn, offer these products to the public for a lower price. During the 70s these techniques became more common in other parts of the world as well. In addition to poultry slaughterhouses, newcomers entered the market as they recognized the enormous financial gains that mechanically separated meat processing allowed. In Europe, for instance, Polskamp Meat Industry is seen as one of the pioneers in this type of industry and is the current market leader. Their success lies in the fact that they were one of the first companies able to provide added value to items that otherwise would have been considered as waste to poultry slaughterhouses. Furthermore, mechanically separated meat from Europe can be seen as a product with a rich history in terms of export. Because of their relatively low value combined with high quality and high European standards, it has always been a product perfectly suitable for export to other parts of the world. Eastern European countries, especially, are known for their import of frozen chicken MSM.During the 50s mechanically separated meat was mostly used as a raw material for the production of hot dogs. Nowadays, luncheon meats, burgers and mortadella are regularly made from MSM using a process pioneered by Todd Mudry.
Safety and regulation
Questions arose in the 1980s as to the safety of mechanically separated meat. In 1982, a report published by U.S. Food Safety and Inspection ServiceFood Safety and Inspection Service
The Food Safety and Inspection Service , an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture , is the public health agency responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged...
(FSIS) on mechanically separated meat said it was safe and established a standard of identity
Standard of identity
Standard of identity for food are the mandatory, federally-set requirements that determine what a food product must contain to be marketed under a certain name in interstate commerce...
for the food product. Some restrictions were made on how much can be used and the type of products in which it can be used. These restrictions were based on concerns for limiting intake of certain components in mechanically separated meat like calcium
Calcium
Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft gray alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth-most-abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
. Mechanically separated meat may not be described simply as "meat" on food labels, but must be labeled as "mechanically separated" pork, chicken, or turkey in the ingredients statement. Hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
s can contain no more than 20 percent mechanically separated pork.
Concerns were raised again when the BSE
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
epidemic, commonly known as "mad cow disease", occurred in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1986. Since bits of the spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
(the part most likely to be carrying BSE) often got mixed in with the rest of the meat, products using mechanically separated meat taken from the carcasses of bovines were at higher risk for transmitting BSE to humans. As a result, in 1989 the United Kingdom tightened restrictions to help ensure that pieces of the spinal cord would not be present in mechanically separated meat taken from bovines.
Similar USDA
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
rules became effective November 4, 1996, and were later updated, stressing:
See also
- Specified risk materialSpecified risk materialSpecified risk material is the general term designated for tissues of ruminant animals that cannot be inspected and passed for human food because scientists have determined that BSE-causing prions concentrate there. The term was referred to in the United Kingdom's Specified Risk Material Order...
(SRM) - Advanced meat recoveryAdvanced meat recoveryAdvanced meat recovery is a slaughterhouse process by which the last traces ofusable meat are removed from bones and other carcass materials after the primal cuts have been carved off manually....
(AMR) - Meat slurryMeat slurryA meat slurry, reconstituted meat, or emulsified meat is a liquefied meat product that contains fewer fats, pigments and less myoglobin than unprocessed dark meats...