EU MEPs block ‘meat glue’ authorisation
In a vote yesterday, MEPs stated that use of the ‘meat glue’ creates reconstituted meat products that “carry an unacceptably high risk of misleading consumers”.
Thrombin, an enzyme derived from blood plasma of pig or cattle, can be used to connect separate pieces of reclaimed meat together, so that they appear to be one large slab. In 2005, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) had issued a positive opinion for its use, prompting the European Commission to propose its addition to the positive list of additives in annex IV of directive 95/2/EC.
Under the Commission's proposal, meat products reconstituted with thrombin would have required labelling and would have been excluded from restaurants.
However, the EU Environment Committee, led by Swedish MEP Åsa Westlund, tabled a resolution to block the additive’s approval. This was backed yesterday by 370 votes in favour, 262 against and 32 abstentions. A minimum of 369 votes in favour was needed to exercise Parliament's right of veto under the ‘regulatory procedure with scrutiny’.
Consumer trust
"Consumers in Europe should be able to trust that they are buying a real steak or ham, not pieces of meat that have been glued together," said Environment Committee chair Jo Leinen, addressing the plenary. The proposed labelling requirements would not have been sufficient to protect against misleading consumers, MEPs argued.
Another consideration was the higher risk of bacterial infection in meat products created with thrombin, due to the larger surface area of meat and the cold bonding process that is used.
Those opposed to blocking thrombin’s authorisation argued that the binding procedure had been declared safe and was already practised in some countries.
CLITRAVI, the European association of the meat processing industry, told FoodNavigator.com that it "deplores" the fact that this resolution undermines innovation in the food industry.
"The European Commission, the EFSA and a vast majority of Member States after extensive discussions agreed on a balanced proposal including labelling. The resolution approved by the European Parliament was more based on political arguments than on science," claimed the group.
Marketing
The enzyme preparation is called Fibrimex, and is under the portfolio of Dutch ingredients company Sonec. It is already being offered to the industry in the US.
The original EFSA application was submitted by Harimex BV.
Member State authorities are currently able to decide at national level whether to allow the use of thrombin as a ‘processing aid’ in food, explained the EU Parliament in a statement.
“The Commission proposal was a step towards clarifying that thrombin is a food additive which should be subject to regulation at EU level. Under EU legislation, a food additive may only be permitted in the European Union if it offers benefits to consumers and does not mislead them.”
