Certified Karoo Meat
Tony Jackman in The Daily Maverick, 22 March 2019 | Read Tony Jackman‘s article in the Daily Maverick here
Sara Erasmus and Johann Kirsten in The Daily Maverick, 26 April 2019 | Read Sara Erasmus and Johann Kirsten‘s reply here
Ons vertrou dat beide inisiatiewe hier genoem, van waarde sal wees en dat lede hierdie geleentheid sal gebruik om meer waarde te ontsluit en die naam van die Karoo met trots verder uit te dra.
Congratulations from all of us at the Karoo Meat Of Origin team to Kristin Reagon & Jarryd Macleod Smith from the The Sense of Taste Chef School, who won the Best Karoo Lamb Dish and Best Main Course at the One&Only Reaching for Young Stars. On the plate: Scrag-end Lamb Karoo Meat of Origin | skilpaatjie | pan fried sweetbreads | peas & carrots | mieliepap | rosemary & Reyneke Syrah Jus paired with Reyneke Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
“A cook-off by young stars with Certified Karoo Lamb. What a great opportunity for these youngsters to experiment with the best lamb in South Africa. {source: showcook.com} The One&Only Reaching for Young Stars has been launched for the seventh consecutive year. 11 of the Cape’s top culinary academies have put forward their finest young stars to compete for top honours in what has become a unique initiative in support of South Africa’s hospitality industry. The young candidates, representing 11 academies have teamed up with 11 top hotels to add the final polish. 11 wineries are paired with their creative menus using Certified Karoo Lamb, … (read more)
Nuusbrief #3/2017 / Hierdie is die derde nuusbrief van 2017 aan alle lede van die “Karoo Meat of Origin” Sertifisering skema. In hierdie nuusbrief gee ons terugvoer oor lede betalings en maak ook die datum vir die Algemene Jaarvergadering bekend … Download newsletter
[ Download the newsletter ] In hierdie nuusbrief gee die direkteure terugvoering aan lede insake die werksaamhede van “Meat of
Orign Karoo” (MOOK) – die maatskappy sonder winsbejag wat opgerig is as verteenwoordigende
liggaam van deelnemers in die Karoolam voorsieningsketting. Ons verskaf ook besonderhede oor die
stand van die sertifiseringskema, bemarking van Karoolam en die ouditering van rolspelers.
Read the story in the Mail and Guardian below and view the diagram showing how the sensory tests of Karoo Lamb are indeed significantly different from other lamb producing regions in South Africa. The diagram shows that lamb from the Ruens (RU) and Free State (FS) associate with oily, barnyard/kraal, sheep wool, savoury/spicy and mutton-like attributes, as well as the increase in shear force and residue. On the contrary, CK, NK, HK/LO and KV (all regions in the Bo-Karoo such as Carnarvon, De Aar, Loeriesfontein, Williston, Knersvlakte) associate with herbaceous, savoury/spicy, lamblike, as well as an increase in tenderness, with CK, NK, HK/LO and KV grouped closely. The overlapping of treatments (NK, HK/LO and KV) indicates that they were very similar in terms of sensory and instrumental meat quality and barely distinguishable. When the division of the left quadrants (along PC2) are taken into consideration, it is evident that the separation of HK/CAL (Hantam Karoo/Calvinia) from the other treatments is driven by its strong association with herbaceous, gamey, sheep wool and mutton-like attributes. The other treatments show less association with these and more with lamb-like attributes, tenderness, initial juiciness and sustained juiciness.
The study confirms again it is important that people buying Karoo Lamb make sure that is from certified farms and abattoirs which are all located in the regions identified as “true” Karoo. The results also confirm that the reputation and geographical link exists and therefore the protection of Karoo lamb as a South African Geographical Indication is indeed warranted. The EU confirmed this in June 2016 when the free trade agreement between the EU and SACU was signed.
View or download the brochure here
Tourists to South Africa also hope to experience our traditional foods and those foods, for which South Africa is known, such as: springbok, kudu, ostrich, snoek, waterblommetjiebredie, bobotie, and Karoo Lamb. In reaction to tourists’ needs restaurants respond by presenting these true South African foods as part of their menu offering. The real concern is that many of the restaurateurs do not offer the ‘real’ product to their restaurant guests. It is quite shocking to see how ill informed (or ignorant) restaurant staff, management and some chefs are when you enquire about the origin of a product that is portrayed on the menu. The question about Karoo Lamb is often telling: ‘So where in the Karoo is the lamb from?’ “from Caledon” or “from Gouda” or even “from Malmesbury” is the answer you often get. Or even better: “it is definitely from the Karoo because our supplier is XYZ and they buy from abattoir BCA”. But then we know abattoir BCA is not in the Karoo and XYZ is a supplier that cannot guarantee origin. So there is no guarantee that the product is from the Karoo veld or from an abattoir and farm that passes all government rules in terms of food safety and animal health or traceability.
To avoid the situation in which restaurants are not sure about the origin of the lamb they buy and to prevent other lamb meat being offered for sale as “Karoo Lamb” the farmers of the Karoo asked the government to protect the name of Karoo Lamb. This was done by introducing a set of rules for the use of the name Karoo Lamb and to introduce a certification mark (Certified Karoo Meat of Origin) to guarantee the origin of the lamb. Now you can make sure that suppliers do not provide you with false or unsafe products. Check out the website www.karoomeatoforigin.com to find the list of certified abattoirs and butcheries that can supply your restaurant with real and certified Karoo Lamb.
South Africa’s top chefs are already seeing the benefit of offering the certified product to their customers. At the recent Eat Out Awards, Karoo Lamb was offered as the main course to the 700 guests present. But more interesting was the fact that 10 of the 20 nominated restaurants have ‘real’ Karoo Lamb on their menus while 5 from the Top 10 restaurants serve Karoo Lamb, which they buy from certified butcher outlets. These chefs are all proud of the South African heritage, they are aware of the quality of real Karoo Lamb and they are certain it is from the Karoo. They all answer with pride: “Our lamb is from the Karoo and we are sure about it because we can track it to the abattoir and the farm”.
Look out for the certification mark stamp, roller mark and labels.
CERT KMOO
The recent stylish and glamorous Mercedes Benz EAT OUT AWARDS for 2015 on 15 November at the Grand West Casino awarded South Africa’s top chef and its top 10 restaurants. The 700 guests were treated with the best wine and food for a full afternoon from 12:00 to 6pm. The main course was a shoulder of ‘Certified’ Karoo Lamb supplied by Ryan Boon Specialty Meats and prepared by Michael Broughton of ‘Terroir’. In addition it was also interesting to note that 10 out of the 20 nominees are all dedicated to the story of Karoo Lamb and have the certified product on their menus. More interesting was the fact that FIVE from the TOP 10 restaurants, including the winner “The Test Kitchen”, serve Karoo Lamb with the origin guaranteed to their customers. That’s a whole lot of support, thank you!
KAROO lamb is one of those uniquely South African products and because of that, as well as its deliciousness, it is something we should celebrate in this country … Diane de Beer in Pretoria News, FRI 13 NOV 2015 : READ
Professor Johann Kirsten recently shared the Karoo Meat of Origin story at La Motte’s “Evening of Vintage Wine and Venison” in Franschhoek … read
The Karoo is a semi-desert area in South Africa, located in the central and western part of the country. The Karoo encompasses nearly 40% of South Africa, comparable to the size of Germany. It is a very dry area with an annual rainfall between 50 – 250 mm. The name “Karoo” is derived from the Khoisan language, meaning “place of thirst” … { READ }
Stable isotope ratio analysis: A potential analytical tool for the authentication of South African lamb meat If you have ever wondered whether the different grazing regions do
present different meat tastes, here is empirical and scientific proof
that the Karoo is indeed different to other regions of South Africa. If
you prefer the rich and herby taste of Karoo Meat it is important that
you ask for the real thing.
Click here to download
“Boere wat waarde wil toevoeg en hul vleis regstreeks aan verbruikers wil bemark, word toegelaat om dit te doen, mits hulle aan sekere voorwaardes voldoen,” skryf prof Johann Kirsten in Landbouweekblad, 03 April 2015. Lees die artikel hier (kliek)
“Hier is die riglyne wat Karooboere moet volg om te verseker hul skaapvleis word as Karoolam gesertifiseer,” skryf prof Johann Kirsten in Landbouweekblad, 27 Maart 2015. Lees die artikel hier (kliek)
“Daar lê groot kommersiële waarde opgesluit in sertifisering vanwee? die unieke reputasie van die naam “Karoo” en Karoolam. Dit moet egter behoorlik toegepas word om misbruik te voorkom,” skryf prof Johann Kirsten in Landbouweekblad, 20 Maart 2015.
Gordon Wright is internationally renowned for his Karoo cuisine, using only the finest, locally sourced products. Merino lamb and mutton are of his favourite meats to work with. Here is an extract from his best- selling cook book, Veld to Fork, as well as a recipe.
Al hoe meer boere en ondernemings is optimisties oor die beweging om Karoolam te beskerm en te bevorder. Nog boere behoort egter druk op ondernemings en slagplase te plaas om die produk as eiesoortig te bemark. Click here for the full article
“Whether it is Champagne in France or Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy, Europe has for years realised the potential and need to protect their locally produced food products that are inseparable from its terroir. This magic is not exclusive to Europe. It has taken South Africa a long time to develop the same pride in our home – grown products and the highlight has undoubtedly been our first origin certified food product: Karoo Lamb,” writes Adele Stiehler-van der Westhuizen, Executive Chef of Prue Leith Chef’s Academy. Click here for the full article
“With the official opening of the luxuriously renovated Drostdy Hotel in Graaff-Reinet, there’s never been a better reason to visit the great Karoo – the country’s hottest new gourmet destination,” writes Bernadette le Roux in Conde Nast House & Garden Gourmet Magazine.
Dirk Gieselmann, executive chef at the new Four Seasons hotel, the WestCliff, shows off his Karoo Lamb with black olives in brioche with sun-dried tomatoes, greens and
a thyme jus in Conde Nast House & Garden Gourmet Magazine.
Festive greetings! Click here for our latest newsletter and Festive Greetings from our Chairperson Bertus Steenkamp
The Karoo Development Foundation sponsored the design and development of unique boxes in which certified Karoo Lamb or mutton can be packed. (See the picture of the 10kg box – good for half lamb). All packers, abattoirs and butchers interested in trading in this format can order the boxes from SUNNY PACKS Manufacturing(Pty)LTD, 48 Denne Rd, Hughes Business Park Ext 58 BOKSBURG. Please contact Jaco Snyman at Jaco@sunnypacks.com or tel: 011-8785920 or fax 086-6248405 to place your order
The Story of Karoo Lamb – South Africa has a proud tapestry of people, cultures, beliefs and customs. But it’s not only our people who are diverse: SA has some unique fauna and flora too – and then there’s one of our national treasures: Karoo lamb. Read the full article
“Wet bepaal watter vleis Karoolam is” Read | Lees
Click here to read “Kos se storie word belangrik” (Beeld / Leefstyl / 5 Junie 2014)
Die geografiese identifisering van kontreiprodukte beteken Karoo lam kry deesdae wetlike beskerming. Errieda du Toit verduidelik aan watter standaarde lamsvleis moet voldoen om as ware “Karoovleis van oorsprong” gesertifiseer te kan word {Beeld LeefStyl 15 May 2014} Read the full article here
Click here to read “Kies Jou Lekkerste Lamtjops Vandag” (Die Burger)
Click here to read “Proe Streekverskille in Vleis” (Die Burger)
Verbruikers is deesdae meer ingelig en wil dus weet wat hulle koop. Die nuwe Karoo-lam-sertifiseringsmerk wat in Kaapse Food Lovers Karkets te koop is, is veel meer as net ‘n plakkertjie op jou vleis …
Die talentvolle MasterChef SA-susters, Leandri en Seline van der Wat, het sommer vroeg in die reeks in kykers se harte gekruip met hulle sprankelende persoonlikhede. Leandri en Seline was onderskeidelik tweede en derde in die pas afgelope reeks van MasterChef South Africa.
One of the latest trends in the market for food products is the desire among
consumers to know the origin (and history) of the food product they purchase and to be physically or emotionally connected to the farm and the producer. This consumer need for origin-based food is affecting the industry in many different ways as food processors and retailers are increasingly labelling their
products to communicate the origin of the product.
Die MasterChef SA-susters Leandri en Seline van der Wat sit af Williston toe op soek na die beste lamsvleis in Suid-Afrika … Lees: Vinkel & koljander in die Karoo {beeld.com}
Marketing origin-based foodstuffs: lessons from the rooibos and Karoo lamb industries, by Cerkia Bramley, Food Law researcher at the University of Pretoria, FST Magazine August 2013 { click here to download the full article }
Lamsvleis uit die Karoo is eg Suid-Afrikaans, soos braaivleis en Mrs Ball’s. Daar is verskeie planne om boere daaruit te laat voordeel trek, maar die sertifisering van skaapvleis moet ook vir die verbruiker ekonomies sin maak {Landbouweekblad 30 AUG 2013} … Click here to download the full Landboueekblad article
(THE BUTCHER, JULY 2012) “Keep it legal: Marketing Karoo Lamb in South Africa” (click to start download)
(SUNDAY TIMES, JULY 21 2013) The Karoo Meat of Origin certification mark allows you to know your producer and to know your meat! (click to start download)
(VEEPLAAS, JUNIE 2013) Deur prof Johann Kirsten, hoof: Departement Landbou-ekonomie, Voorligting en Landelike Ontwikkeling, Universiteit van Pretoria (click to start download)
Our first newsletter is out now. Read it here (click) or subscribe to receive the next letter in your inbox
Organies, ja – Maar is dit beter? Kos wat organies or vrylopend gemerk is, is duurder. Maar is dit regtig gesonder en smaakliker? Ons het gaan koop en geproe … deur Petro-Anne Vlok in Huisgenoot 14 Oktober 2012 (Download PDF, 1 MB)
“Karoolam – oorsprong gewaarborg” deur Retha Fourie in Rooivleis, September 2012. Noem die naam Karoo, en die reaksie sal ’n rits byvoeglike naamwoorde ontlok wat almal verband hou met heilsaamheid, hunkering, ongereptheid, ongeskondenheid, egtheid, maar veral kosbaarheid waarmee daar nie gelol moet word nie – dink net aan die geweldige teenkanting wat die nuus oor die moontlike ontginning van skaliegas tot gevolg gehad het. Maar dié sentiment is baie meer as slegs ’n emosionele ervaring – dit bring mee dat die verbruiker bereid is om bietjie meer vir die produk te betaal as vir vir enige ander generiese produk … { Download PDF }
This very interesting article about a road trip to the Karoo was published in the Getaway magazine in August 2012.
Click here to download the article (PDF, 2 MB)
Karoo Meat of Origin wil julle almal graag uitnooi om ons te kom ondersteun by ons stalletjie by die Bien Donné Agri Kaap Week wat as volg sal plaasvind:
| Datum | Donderdag 19 tot Saterdag 21 April 2012 |
|---|---|
| Tyd | 09:00 tot 18:00 (Donderdag en Vrydag) en 08:00 tot14:00 (Saterdag) |
| Plek | Bien Donné Proefplaas, tussen Paarl en Franschhoek |
| Tema | ’Verandering vir volhoubaarheid’ |
| Standplaas | Blok C, standplaas 6 in Plaasproduktemark Tent (sien kaarte aangeheg) |
Vir die wat dit nie kan bywoon nie sal ek na afloop van die skou ‘n paar fotos op ons Webblad laai! Ons sien uit om julle almal daar te sien!
Magda en die Karoo Meat of Origin span
Download the latest Karoo Meat of Origin brochure
Ná jare se harde werk om erkenning vir Karoolam as vleis van oorsprong te kry, is daar nou ’n sertifiseringsmerk geregistreer wat die egtheid van die vleis waarborg. Die Karoo se windpompe, kort bossies en troppe skape en die uitgestrekte stilte en diep landelikheid wat dit verteenwoordig, het ’n baie spesiale plek in vele Suid-Afrikaners se harte. Vanjaar, met die aankondiging van planne om skaliegas daar te soek, het die teenstand van duisende Suid-Afrikaners getoon hoe die beskerming van dié droë landstreek met die nasionale psige ineengeweef is. Die openbare ontevredenheid was nie net teenkanting teen die ontginning van skaliegas nie, maar eerder ’n noodroep om die Karoo en al die goeie goed wat dit verteenwoordig, te beskerm. Een van die ikoniese produkte wat met die Karoo geassosieer word, is skaap- en lamsvleis, dog dese en gene probeer daaruit munt slaan; meermale tot nadeel van verbruikers…. lees die artikel in Landbou, deur Amelia Genis | Download page 01 | Download page 02 | Download page 03 |
CERTIFIED KAROO MEAT OF ORIGIN/KAROO VLEIS VAN OORSPRONG het onlangs goeie ondersteuning uit ‘n onverwagse oord ontvang. Deon Meyer het in hul kookboek “Kom Eet! Om die tafel met Anita en Deon Meyer”, sterk lansie gebreek vir Karoo lam en sterk kapsie gemaak teen al die vervalsingspogings om die verbruikers te mislei. Hy beveel aan dat die verbuiker direk van die boer moet koop. Maar hoe sal dit werk ? Dit is presies wat hierdie sertifiseringskema wil regkry – om dit vir die verbuiker moontlik te maak om direk van die boer te koop sonder om Karoo toe te ry.
Die KDF het vir Deon Meyer van die inisiatief vertel en hy het so gereageer: “Baie dankie vir die skrywe, en die eer van die versoek. Ek het onlangs in Landbou-Weeklblad en op RSG kennis geneem van gesertifiseerde Karoo-lam, en steun graag dié uitstekende inisiatief. Ek koppel graag my naam daaraan.“
Food fraud is big business. Although the true extent is uncertain, such practices are calculated to cost the global food industry up to 25 billion (over ZAR 300 billion) per year and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) estimates that up to 10% of commercial food products may be counterfeit.1-2 In this time of rapid globalisation, when a single processed food product may contain ingredients sourced from a dozen different nations, numerous opportunities exist for unscrupulous food producers to fraudulently substitute or add ingredients which are cheaper, but not necessarily desirable.
What is the risk of meat species substitution, why and how does it occur, and what can be done to ensure the authenticity of the meat products you supply? This newsletter seeks to shed some light on these topics.
What we have found? In 2011, one of the FACTS food scientists, Donna Cawthorn, published a set of results from her PhD study conducted at the University of Stellenbosch, in which DNA testing was used to reveal that 9% of fish samples collected from seafood wholesalers in South Africa and a startling 31% of those collected from retail outlets were mislabelled with regards to species.3 In addition, simultaneous research commissioned by FACTS on various meat samples in this country has demonstrated that this type of fraud and species substitution is by no means limited to fish. A further significant concern revealed through our testing is the potential for meat products to be contaminated with undeclared species during processing. Cross-contamination can arise when poorly cleaned equipment or utensils are used for processing meat from two or more different meat species.
Whether deliberate or unintentional, the effects of meat product misdescription are similar, and include consumer deception, potential health risks and the inability of individuals to choose products for the sake of religious and ethical beliefs.
Why and how is fraud perpetuated? Due to their high prices, food products such as meat and fish are highly prone to substitution or adulteration, and such practices are often relatively simple to get away with. The flesh of many meat species differs only subtly in appearance and texture, making it difficult to identify the species based on visual inspection. Once meat is comminuted and incorporated into value-added products, however, identification based on appearance and other sensory parameters becomes virtually impossible. At another level, substitution of meat ingredients may involve the use of cheaper ingredients from the same declared species, but from different body parts (typically offal, connective tissue or blood), or the substitutes may be non-meat ingredients (e.g. plant or dairy sources).4 Apart from the concerns that meat substitution or adulteration generate from economical, religious or ethical viewpoints, counterfeit components may be toxic (e.g. melamine) and the undeclared addition of some ingredients (e.g. soy, wheat, dairy) can pose health risks for consumers with food allergies /intolerances.
The Orion meat saga The deliberate substitution of meat products was recently brought to the forefront in one of the biggest food-related scandals to hit the media in recent years. In November 2011, numerous news reports emerged indicating that Orion Cold Storage in Cape Town had been importing various products from different parts of the world and that the company was deliberately relabelling these as food-grade and Halaal.5-10 According to these reports, Orion was accused of, amongst others, importing pork products from Belgium and Ireland and relabelling them as Halaal sheep or beef products; importing kangaroo from Australia and water buffalo from India and selling these as beef products (often Halaal); importing non-Halaal poultry from Spain (via the UK) and relabelling the goods as Halaal; and importing non-food-grade milk powder for animal feed and relabelling it as Halaal skim milk powder fit for human consumption. These findings not only caused outrage among the Muslim community, but also sent waves of panic through the entire food industry.
Ensuring meat authenticity While knowing your meat suppliers and auditing them regularly may be an obvious step in protecting the authenticity of meat products, in many cases food fraud cannot be discovered by following a paper trail and detection requires “state of the art” scientific analysis.1 Today, DNA-based techniques are considered the most appropriate methods for making species identifications as identical copies of DNA are present in almost all tissue types of an individual, DNA is relatively stable at high temperatures and since the diversity afforded by the genetic code allows differentiation of even very closely-related species.11-13
Over the past few years, FACTS has developed a large number of DNA-based methods for the identification of meat species, both in single ingredient commodities (using DNA sequencing) and in complex food matrices (using species-specific detection methods) (see our full list of services below). The detection of the complete substitution of a single meat species with another is one of the more simple scenarios for identifying food fraud.
In general, DNA sequencing conducted on a queried sample will produce a DNA sequence or “fingerprint” which can be compared to a set of known reference sequences deposited in a credible genetic database. The identity of the specimen can thereby be established, which is either the same or different to the one expected. Investigating the partial substitution or adulteration of meat is considerably more difficult, since it is normally necessary to know the possible identity of the adulterant before it can be detected. To help alleviate the aforementioned difficulties, FACTS is very excited to have recently optimised an animal species screening method which allows the detection of 14 different animal species in a single reaction (more details below). This method, which relies on the use of species-specific DNA probes to detect certain target DNA sequences, will significantly reduce the costs and labour required to ensure product authenticity.
Food fraud is indeed a food industry issue. Consumers are highly reliant on the accurate and complete declaration of food constituents to enable them to make product choices that are consistent with their lifestyles. Brand loyalty can be severely compromised should this be found not to be the case. As such, DNA testing can be of great value for the routine monitoring of meat product authenticity and should be conducted whenever a case of meat adulteration or contamination is suspected.
Source: F.A.C.T.S.
The Karoo region presents images of wholesomeness, windmills, sheep farms, endless vistas, hospitality and wholesome food …
The region is famous for its sheep meat with its distinct taste and texture. Karoo sheep meat’s distinctive character is derived from grazing on indigenous Karoo veldt vegetation. The name “Karoo” has been abused and misappropriated by many businesses not based in the Karoo. The economic benefits have been taken from the people of the Karoo.
Now for the first time a certification mark will guarantee that you are buying true Karoo meat.
Food fraud is big business, and it has been in the news headlines in SA when it comes to fish substitution, and more recently in late 2011 with the Orion meat saga in Cape Town where the company incurred the outrage of the Muslim community due to alleged fraudulent mislabelling of meat products. Respected consultancy, FACTS, headed by the well-known Dr Harris Steinman, now offers comprehensive DNA-based testing to validate meat species.
Although the true extent is uncertain, such food fraud is calculated to cost the global food industry up to 25 billion (over ZAR 300 billion) per year and the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) estimates that up to 10% of commercial food products may be counterfeit.
In this time of rapid globalisation, when a single processed food product may contain ingredients sourced from a dozen different nations, numerous opportunities exist for unscrupulous food producers to fraudulently substitute or add ingredients which are cheaper, but not necessarily desirable.
What is the risk of meat species substitution, why and how does it occur, and what can be done to ensure the authenticity of the meat products you supply? This newsletter seeks to shed some light on these topics.
Description: Donna CawthornIn 2011, one of FACTS’ food scientists, Donna Cawthorn (left), published a set of results from her PhD study conducted at the University of Stellenbosch, in which DNA testing was used to reveal that 9% of fish samples collected from seafood wholesalers in South Africa and a startling 31% of those collected from retail outlets were mislabelled with regards to species.
In addition, simultaneous research commissioned by FACTS on various meat samples in this country has demonstrated that this type of fraud and species substitution is by no means limited to fish.
A further significant concern revealed through its testing, it says, is the potential for meat products to be contaminated with undeclared species during processing. Cross-contamination can arise when poorly cleaned equipment or utensils are used for processing meat from two or more different meat species.
Whether deliberate or unintentional, the effects of meat product misdescription are similar, and include consumer deception, potential health risks and the inability of individuals to choose products for the sake of religious and ethical beliefs.
Due to their high prices, food products such as meat and fish are highly prone to substitution or adulteration, and such practices are often relatively simple to get away with.
The flesh of many meat species differs only subtly in appearance and texture, making it difficult to identify the species based on visual inspection. Once meat is and incorporated into value-added products, however, identification based on appearance and other sensory pacomminuted rameters becomes virtually impossible.
At another level, substitution of meat ingredients may involve the use of cheaper ingredients from the same declared species, but from different body parts (typically offal, connective tissue or blood), or the substitutes may be non-meat ingredients (e.g. plant or dairy sources).
Apart from the concerns that meat substitution or adulteration generate from economical, religious or ethical viewpoints, counterfeit components may be toxic (e.g. melamine) and the undeclared addition of some ingredients (e.g. soy, wheat, dairy) can pose health risks for consumers with food allergies /intolerances.
The deliberate substitution of meat products was recently brought to the forefront in one of the biggest food-related scandals to hit the media in recent years. In November 2011, numerous news reports emerged indicating that Orion Cold Storage in Cape Town had been importing various products from different parts of the world and that the company was deliberately relabeling these as food-grade and Halaal.
According to these reports, Orion was accused of, amongst others, importing pork products from Belgium and Ireland and relabeling them as Halaal sheep or beef products; importing kangaroo from Australia and water buffalo from India and selling these as beef products (often Halaal); importing non-Halaal poultry from Spain (via the UK) and relabeling the goods as Halaal; and importing non-food-grade milk powder for animal feed and relabeling it as Halaal skim milk powder fit for human consumption.
These findings not only caused outrage among the Muslim community, but also sent waves of panic through the entire food industry.
While knowing your meat suppliers and auditing them regularly may be an obvious step in protecting the authenticity of meat products, in many cases food fraud cannot be discovered by following a paper trail and detection requires “state of the art” scientific analysis.
Today, DNA-based techniques are considered the most appropriate methods for making species identifications as identical copies of DNA are present in almost all tissue types of an individual, DNA is relatively stable at high temperatures and since the diversity afforded by the genetic code allows differentiation of even very closely-related species.
Over the past few years, FACTS has developed a large number of DNA-based methods for the identification of meat species, both in single ingredient commodities (using DNA sequencing) and in complex food matrices (using species-specific detection methods).
The detection of the complete substitution of a single meat species with another is one of the more simple scenarios for identifying food fraud.
In general, DNA sequencing conducted on a queried sample will produce a DNA sequence or “fingerprint” which can be compared to a set of known reference sequences deposited in a credible genetic database. The identity of the specimen can thereby be established, which is either the same or different to the one expected.
Investigating the partial substitution or adulteration of meat is considerably more difficult, since it is normally necessary to know the possible identity of the adulterant before it can be detected.
To help alleviate these difficulties, FACTS reports that it’s very excited to have recently optimised an animal species screening method which allows the detection of 14 different animal species in a single reaction. This method, which relies on the use of species-specific DNA probes to detect certain target DNA sequences, will significantly reduce the costs and labour required to ensure product authenticity.
“Food fraud is indeed a food industry issue. Consumers are highly reliant on the accurate and complete declaration of food constituents to enable them to make product choices that are consistent with their lifestyles,” comments FACTS’ Donna Cawthorn.
“Brand loyalty can be severely compromised should this be found not to be the case. As such, DNA testing can be of great value for the routine monitoring of meat product authenticity and should be conducted whenever a case of meat adulteration or contamination is suspected.”
For article references and more on this testing, see the FACTS website.
In order to trace, record, preserve and commemorate the rich heritage which evolved in the Karoo region of South Africa, to promote social and economic development in the Karoo, and to keep in custody such heritage for the descendants of the inhabitants of the Karoo and the South African public in general, the Karoo Development Foundation was established in early 2009 as an inter vivos trust (nr IT1498/2009) in terms of Section 6 (1) of the Trust Property Control Act (Act 57 of 1988).
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