Spain sets out fresh standards for meat industry
Standards Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Quality Assurance were developed by Spain’s Federation of Food and Beverages (IFLA) Industries, the Confederation of Business Organizations of the Beef Industry in Spain (CONFECARNE) and the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Ready Meals
In a joint statement, the organisations said the procedures, already being implemented, were designed to create responsibility in the meat and prepared meals industry, increasing guarantees so that confidence could be restored to customers and consumers who had been negatively affected by the recent horsemeat scandal.
The SOPs should be used by manufacturers of meat products, meat preparations and dishes prepared with meat, they said, adding that the document will help prevent accidental mixing of raw materials from different species, as well as correct labelling of said ingredients in final products.
The SOPs have been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment (MAGRAMA) as well as the food industry’s director general Fernando Burgaz. He said the SOPs would not only serve as a documented procedure to be followed by operators, but could also be used as a “step to restore confidence in these foods”.
Standard operating practices will be as follows:
- Control of raw materials: in all matters related to documentation and labelling, compliance with procurement requirements is needed, as is supplier approval, reception control, sampling for analytical testing and identification of the raw material;
- Avoiding cross-contamination: an evaluation of the risk of contamination with other species in meat processing, including measures to prevent it;
- Verification of traceability: checking supporting documentation, reviewing procedures and conducting exercises to record traceability;
- A review of product labelling: check the ingredients on the label match the current formulation of the products.
