19 July 2016
Modern technology meets ancient tradition in top-quality European meats
Cutting edge technology ensures that European pork, beef, and pork and beef products are safe for New Zealand families
without sacrificing generations of knowledge in producing succulent meat.
Consumers are increasingly looking for high quality, natural foods without compromising on taste or ethical issues.
The ‘We Are What We Eat’ report by Nielsen, which surveyed 30,000 people in 60 countries, found that “when it comes to
the foods we eat, consumers are going back to the basics”.
For 43% of respondents, desirable attributes in foods - such as being fresh, containing natural ingredients, not
containing genetically modified organisms and being minimally processed - are very important.
While European pork and beef producers tap into shared, centuries-old experiences in farming to produce a tasty and
fresh staple food, advanced technology and strict guidelines mean their products are also safe, ethical and delicious
for Kiwi families.
The modern approach to the quality of pork, beef, and pork and beef products in Europe is made up of many elements,
enabling effective monitoring of technological, hygienic, and ethical qualities in these popular types of meat.
In order to achieve the best technological results, directly following slaughter, a series of tests assessing the water
absorption, acidity, content and characteristics of fat, size of cuttings, and the antioxidant status of meat is carried
out.
These results can determine the further use of each piece of meat, and enable producers to precisely define the
technological quality of beef, pork, and beef and pork products.
With high levels of protein and essential vitamins such as B12, pork and beef are valued types of meat and constitute an
important basic element in the diet of many New Zealand families.
It is therefore crucial that this meat does not contain harmful substances, and this is ensured by European Union (EU)
laws regarding feed and management of animals.
Those provisions require producers to systematically monitor the composition of feed and drinking water for the presence
of heavy metals and antibiotics, as well as to use appropriate materials for the construction of coops, lying space, and
troughs in animal housing in order to guarantee the safety of meat delivered to Kiwi dinner tables.
EU producers in the meat industry also strictly abide by the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Hygiene Practices
(GHP), Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations.
These make sure producers effectively manage the hygienic standards of beef, pork, and beef and pork products, and the
assessment of their microbiological purity. In addition, EU regulations oblige veterinary services to continuously
monitor animal breeding, transport and slaughter, as well as meat treatment and processing to prevent the presence of
sick animals in the food chain.
For the increasing number of consumers conscious of ethical issues surrounding animal welfare, EU regulations regarding
animal breeding, including breeding of pigs and cows, are in place with the understanding that animal welfare has a
crucial impact on the quality of produced meat.
Meat producers in the EU must observe strict legal acts which apply to animal breeding, rearing, transport to the
slaughterhouse, and slaughter.
As part of those regulations, animals are also required to have an appropriate living space, and the rooms in which they
live must have access to natural light (or a lighting system) and a ventilation system. The corridors and ramps used for
loading and unloading animals are also constructed to protect the animals from any cutting or bruising.
All of these regulations and practices, combined with centuries-old experience, means the EU meat industry produce
products of high, reproducible quality ready for Kiwi families and meat-lovers to enjoy all year round.
For more information visit http://www.meatfromerope.eu
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