"Meat glue" comes unstuck as London MEP casts key vote (Newham Borough Liberal Democrats)

Newham Borough Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

"Meat glue" comes unstuck as London MEP casts key vote

May 21, 2010 3:48 PM
Originally published by Sarah Ludford MEP

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford cast the deciding vote on Wednesday to ban the use of so-called "meat glue" in pre-packaged meat products and stand up for food quality.

The additive thrombin, colloquially known as meat glue, is an enzyme made from the blood of cows or pigs. The sticky substance glues scraps or morsels of meat together so that they look like one single piece of meat, and could even be used to make imitation 'fillet steak' or 'pork tenderloin'.

EU governments and the European Commission - lobbied by the food industry - are seeking to authorise the sale of these 'glued' products in supermarkets.

But MEPs in the European Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday rejected this proposal by just one vote.

Sarah Ludford said:

"Bismarck once reportedly said that there are two things you should never watch being made: sausages and laws. I part company on the latter, but food processing should not be disgusting. The European Parliament was right to act to ensure that sausages are not in reality glue sticks."

"Even if products containing thrombin would have to be labelled as a 'composite meat product' in the small print, this is just misleading for consumers as they will not be able to tell if their meat is the real thing or lots of little bits stuck together. The use of this additive is also suspected of facilitating bacteria growth."

"In addition, it could cause problems for people of certain faiths if different types of meat - beef and pork, or halal and non-halal - are glued together."

ENDS