SA consumers also cheated with meat products, SU study finds
February 25, 2013 
50 Comments
There’s a fair share of fraudulent meat products on the South African market, according to a new study by meat scientists from Stellenbosch University.
The study found that anything from soya, donkey, goat and water buffalo were to be found in up to 68% of the 139 minced meats, burger patties, deli meats, sausages and dried meats that were tested. In other cases, even undeclared plant matter was detected.
These ingredients were not declared on the products’ packaging labels.
The findings follow in the wake of various international food produce scandals that have made headlines.
The study was published in the international Food Control journal, and was done by Dr Donna-Maree Cawthorn and Prof. Louw Hoffman of the Stellenbosch University Department of Animal Sciences, in conjunction with Harris Steinman of the Food & Allergy Consulting & Testing Services (F.A.C.T.S) in Milnerton.
“Our study confirms that the mislabelling of processed meats is commonplace in South Africa and not only violates food labelling regulations, but also poses economic, religious, ethical and health impacts,” says Prof. Louw Hoffman of the Department of Animal Sciences.
The products tested were collected from retail outlets and butcheries.
Of the 139 samples tested, 95 (68%) contained species which were not declared on the product labelling. The scapegoats in general were sausages, burger patties and deli meats.
Soya and gluten were found in 28% of the samples, without being identified specifically as plant material on the labels of the specific meat products.
A strong case of meat substitution was also reported. Pork (37%) and chicken (23%) were the most commonly detected animal species in products that were not supposed to contain them.
“Unconventional species such as donkey, goat and water buffalo were also discovered in a number of products,” says Prof. Hoffman, who is regarded as the world’s foremost researcher on aspects of game meat, and in January was named as the first South African to be honoured by the leading American Meat Science Society (AMSA) with its International Lectureship Award.
The researchers used various DNA-based molecular techniques to evaluate the extent of meat product mislabelling. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect undeclared plant proteins such as soya and gluten in the samples.
The study forms part of a larger research project in which Dr Cawthorn and Prof. Hoffman uses DNA-based species authentication to identify commercial fish species and game species sold in local restaurants. Already, they have found that a large percentage of the fish and game meat sold is in fact identified incorrectly. Research into why this occurs is now under way.
“Our findings raise significant concern on the functioning of the meat supply chain in South Africa,” says Prof. Hoffman. “Even though we have local regulations that protect consumers from being sold falsely described or inferior foodstuffs, we need these measures to be appropriately enforced.”
“Clearly, our consumers cannot generally accepted that the meat products they buy are correctly labelled,” says Dr. Cawthorn, who believes that the entire local meat industry needs to take more responsibility in complying with relevant regulations. “The meat industry’s failure to provide vital information on products may not only decrease consumer confidence in their organisations, but also in the meat industry as a whole.
She believes that targets must be set to improve meat labelling practices and to address the adequacy of authentication monitoring methods. “I do not believe that the current penalties issued for non-compliance are sufficient to deter fraudulent practices,” he adds.
Where can I have meat tested please?
I bought spare ribs at a supermarket on Friday 10 May 2013. It supposed to be pork which is also know as white meat but this brown and its so chunky. Pork is normally soft but this meat is tuff. Seems more like wild bore. Where can I have it tested please?
Eish all you moaners out there have not yet asked the most single important question, what are the percentages of the TRACE ELEMENTS.
The thing that worries me the most is the water buffalo… most of the water buffalo in SA carry what’s called coridor,if they are clean of the illness they become very expensive (millions of rands), Lions get coridor from eating these animals so the same would be expected if humans eat the same meat?
If I am the supermarkets, then I would sue the lab.
This “mislabelling” is fraud – confidentiality simply cannot be a consideration in such cases. It is a disgrace that the members of the public are denied the right of access to information that can help them avoid continuing to become victims of fraud.
Results to be handed over:
http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/2013/04/04/university-set-to-hand-over-names-in-red-meat-study
I find it odd that this report is being rehashed three months after it was originally presented. Methinks the scientists are seeking attention and publicity in the light of the international horse meat scandal. Shamelessly so.
A high incidence of species substitution and mislabelling detected in meat products sold in South Africa.
http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/79619
Congratulations! Many researchers might be envious of your fan mail. A few replies and/or a public lecture might be in order.
I really feel betrayed by these findings how dare they not tell the consumers what they are putting in the meat
However why havent the companies been reported?
will they promise to give the university money if they do not mention them?
let us know where their loyalties lie whether the companies or the consumers
IOL ran this story last year naming a few suppliers:
http://www.iol.co.za/blogs/wendy-knowler-s-consumer-watch-1.1608/scientist-finds-undeclared-meats-in-many-food-stores-1.1438044#.US2yVVfQAxI
Until we have the names of the culprits, and bearing in mind that 68% of products tested were “guilty”, its probably safe to assume that ALL processed meat products are affected…
Why not give us a list of the guilty outlets?
My concern would be that if they are breaking laws in neglecting proper labeling and in mixing non-traditional meats, soya, and gluten, then how careful are they about keeping sanitary conditions in their work areas?
Plus I feel sorry for people who have celiac disease eating that mess. They could actually die from ingesting gluten.
Come on guys, this has been par for the course amongst suppliers and retails for years.Please don’t tell me you are all that naive.Who cares if there is a small percentage of chicken, donkey, horse, buffalo or vegetable filler in a product. 100% pure beef fed on GMO corn is going to be far more detrimental to our health than a grass fed donkeys or buffalo. In my opinion it is a far greater sin to sell water saturated third grade frozen chicken pieces to the poor at a higher price per kilo than a fresh free range, first grade chicken from Woolies would cost.
Give me a donkey burger any day before a reconstituted pink slime KFC chicken nugget.
This is all a red herring. The producers of all this if you dig deeper is controlled by 2 or 3 major corporations. They don’t care much about your and my health. Its all about profits.They have been producing so called food like this for many years. The only way to take back your power is to make contact with a small and ethical farmer in your area and support him/her. Build rapport with your farmer and tell him you want clean food that is ethically produced. NO GMO’s Quite frankly I would rather eat a donkey grown ethically than beef fed genetically modified corn and other kak. Its all a red herring. Why ask for the name of the brand or the supermarket? It comes from the multinational corporations around the world. We live in a so-called global economy. If this happens in Europe its in Africa first. We are the worlds first dumping ground. The biggest threat to our health is not eating donkey or horse meat. Its GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS. Do research about this and take back some of your power. Check out http://www.responsibletechnology.org/ See rats develop tumors in 3 months fed a diet of GMO corn!
“The SCAPEGOATS in general were sausages, burger patties and deli meats.”
“Scapegoats” is used incorrectly in the context. A scapegoat is a usually innocent party bearing the blame for someone else.
I think you mean “culprits”…
“The CULPRITS in general were sausages, burger patties and deli meats.”
Yes, you need to name the products and stand behind your research. Hiding behind “fear of lawsuits” implies you don’t have sufficient faith in your research and its scientific rigor.
Merely telling us that 68% of tested products are adulterated, without naming the products, is simply not good enough.
ROFEIRFO
Seems like it a great response would be, that we simply do not eat meat for a week, as it seems that the only way to get a reaction is to remind them who keeps their operations running so smoothly. We really do not mind, what they put in their products, but we must know. Just another way of cutting corners, while we pay a fortune for mince which is currently hitting upwards of R65 per kilo, and yet it contains unknown contents.
At the end of all people become victims of some disease whose origin cannot be described. Surely there must be a piece of legislation which needs to be instituted against companies that are implicated in this scandal!
An urgent interdict can be made to the High Court for an order to compel the release of name brands tested in the interests of Public Safety. It’s not an inexpensive application but it would be a worthwhile one.
I agree that it is not up to academia to name and shame wrong doers. The correct course of action would be to share this information with the Health Department. They are quick to act on information received, and any wrong doing could be identified and published by the proper authorities. This could be a nice little earner for the University too, as all food sampling labs in U.K. are now running at full capacity.
The article doesn’t give any indication of the proportions of undeclared meats found in these products. In other words, are these generally significant proportions indicating deliberate blending of different types of meat, or just traces as a result of contamination between different types of meat, e.g. due to poor hygiene practices in a busy butcher shop?
Whos creditworthy is at stake Professor,if its the truth why not name and shame the idiots feeding us thrash.
I was wondering how long it would be before similar practices were uncovered in South Africa. Great work!
Would it be possible please for you to send Gourmet Guys details as to the brands that were tested.
The information would be very much appreciated.
> MC
Please be aware: in the Europe horse meat scandal, retailers such as Tesco, companies such as Nestle were named. The detection via DNA according to established scientific methods makes the threat of litigation to SU to be negligible. What sensible company would sue an organisation for conducting (open) research methods???
The results (i.e. brands of products) should be publicised
The actual study cannot name the names of the meats tested for legal reasons, they are very careful not to mention anything that will lead the reader to determine where the samples came from. As a scientist I can understand why, the last thing you need is lawsuits when you can barely afford to carry out your research as it is. Here is the original study link but I think you would need to log in via an institute with a subscription to this journal: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713513000236
Based on the above comments and the findings of the research, it is important that this issue be taken to the next stage. Maybe a media briefing via our media department would be an appropriate next move?
“Game” Biltong is also seldom what the label claims.
The last 5 packets of “ostrich” that I tried tasted a lot like beef.
thursday we ate mince,and since friday i have been nauseas,vomiting,stomach cramps and diarea. could this be because of the donkey etc meat that may have been in the mince? i am realy not feeling well.could you please identify the health impacts of these meats.thankyou
Yes, please “name and shame”. The research seems meaningless unless the consumer is given the ammunition to protect themselves with, ergo “naming and shaming”
Please publish the names of these brands and retailers/butcheries.
Would also like to see the names of these tests please. If Im buying a beef burger from a retailer I would like to know Im actually buying that and not some donkey.
It is the the responsibility of the authorities and not an academic institution to rid the shelves of these products. You cannot seriously expect the US to open themselves up to the type of litigation that may follow.
In most cases, retailer like the public rely on the information supplied to them by their suppliers and will not knowingly sell incorrectly declared products. It is also not practical for them to have products DNA analysed, as this would mean that the cost to test these products would be added to the supply chain for every retailer that has it tested. Yet again it is the same authorities that make the laws that should enforce it as they are the central point that has to test and advise the retailers to withdraw.
I do believe that the importation of Mechanically Deboned Meat (MDM) contributes a lot to this problem as this a meat pulp or shreds rather than recognisable carcasses. This is also the most logical point to test for foreign species as the manufacturer is under the impression that what is written on the package or invoice is what he gets.
If you are not prepared to name and shame these perpetrators, then you are in collusion with these same perpetrators.
Rather do not share contentious findings that you are not prepared to substantiate.
Obviously dont want to hurt the sponsers?
Die ENIGSTE manier hoe hierdie firmas oorreed sal kan word om meer eties op te tree, is as hulle name en produkte bekend gemaak word, en hulle winste daardeur geraak word .
Is it becoming a global trend now? Should nipped in the bud. How in the first place does these ‘unconventional species’ meat enter into the industry?
We really appreciate the information and alert as it were. But please name those who are in on this so that we could stop buying their products.
South Africa should not fall victim to this thugs.
Eish! I’m gonna buy whole chickens, chops and steak. Then you can see what you’re getting. Avoid minced meats until the culprits are named.
Please tell us the brands that are not labelled correctly. I do not want to be eating donkey and goat meat when I eat sausage.
I trust the major retailers will insist on checking out thew products they sell. Come to the party Woolworths Pick ‘n Pay Shoprite and Spar and let us know if all your meat products are correctly labelled
best is to go back to basics,raise your chickens,goats,pigs,vegies etc or we enjoy our donkey meat burgers.does not matter which brands cause they collude in any case.
Gee die name van die brands wat dit doen. laat ons begin vote met ons beursies!
Kan julle nie net die name bekend maak nie? As julle regtig die ding wil beveg dan is stap een om die publiek in kennis te stel wie hierdie retailers/brands is. Julle sal goed doen teenoor julle mede mens en GEEN ander metode sal meer effektief wees nie (en julle het tog bewyse).
Name and shame please, or link to the actual published study, which hopefully does this.
To make such statements without naming and shaming is a shame in its own right.
Come to the party or keep quiet !!!
Daar moet strenger opgetree word teen diegene wat hulle skuldig maak aan sulke oortredings. Dit kan mense ernstig siek maak en jou geloof ook uit mekaar skeur. Daar was al gevalle wat mense mekaar wou vermoor oor vals aanduidings op seker vleisprodukte.
Please inform consumers which shops and supermarkets were selling these meat products – and which brands were used. I don’t understand the secrecy.
Will you publish the names of the brands, manufacturers,retailers and/or butcheries where samples were collected? I believe it’s the right of the public to know which brands and companies have been lying to us. Will any action be taken against the producers/manufacturers, as was done in Europe?