Non-Tariff Barriers

Non-Tariff Measure

NTM classification

B7: Product quality, safety or performance requirements 

Date when the measure came into force

09 September 2004 

Publication where the measure is specified

Government Notice R. 791 (Government Gazette 26531) of 9 July 2004 

Regulation where the measure is specified

Compulsory Specification For The Manufacture, Production, Processing and Treatment of Canned Meat Products 

Country/Region applying the measure

South Africa 

The rationale of the measure

This specification specifies requirements for the manufacture, production, processing and treatment of canned meat products intended for human consumption. 

Coded list of objectives

X: For purposes n.e.s. 

Description of the measure

7.13 Sausages
7.1 3.1 Preparation
Sausages shall be prepared from minced meat, with or without permitted edible offal. Seasoning and
flavouring substances, water, fat, starchy (farinaceous) material, phosphates (see 6.8), milk powder
(see 5.19), eggs and other acceptable ingredients may be added. Sausages shall be filled into casings with or without subsequent treatment or shall be otherwise formed into shape.
7.13.2 Natural binder
Natural binder (see 5.23, 12.1.2.5 and 12.1.2.6) shall not be more than 8 % by mass of the total sample contents. The nature of the natural binder used shall be in accordance with the nature of the product: binder derived from pork shall not be used in a pure beef product nor shall binder derived from beef be used in a pure pork product.
7.1 3.3 Permitted edible offal
The product may contain only the following edible offal: heart, liver, kidney and tongue.
7.3.4 Composition requirements
7.13.4.1 Sausages in brine, agar-agar or other aqueous medium, whether gelled or not
Sausages shall comply with the following requirements:
a) the composition, determined by chemical analysis, of the canned sausages after they have been
drained on a sieve of nominal aperture size 2 mm and after any adhering packing medium has been
removed, shall, subject to (b) below, comply with the appropriate requirements given in table 3; and
b) if the actual total meat content of the sausage, determined by chemical analysis, is less than the
specified minimum of 65 % but the product of the actual total meat content percentage and the
drained mass as a percentage of the d.n.m. (see 7.13.5.1) divided by 100 gives a value of at least 49,the product shall be regarded as acceptable in relation to meat content.
7.13.4.2 Sausages in fat and sausages without packing medium
The composition of the canned sausages (determined by chemical analysis) after any fat used as
packing medium has been removed by gentle scraping, shall comply with the appropriate requirements as given in table 4.
At the point of packing into the container, boerewors shall have an actual total meat content of not less than 90 % by mass and an actual lean meat content of not less than 60 % by mass as determined by chemical analysis.
7.13.4.4 Content of permitted edible offal
In the case of sausages other than boerewors, not more than 5 % of the d.n.m. shall be heart, liver,
kidney, or tongue used either singly or in combination, which might have been included in the product, provided that the presence of such permitted edible offal is declared in the ingredients panel on the label in plain type of not less than 1,5 mm face measurement. Boerewors shall not contain liver, kidney, heart or tongue.
7.13.5 Mass of sausage in pack)
7.13.5.1 Except as allowed in terms of 7.13.5.2, the mass of sausage in a container when determined in accordance with 10.5, shall be at least 75 % of the d.n.m., except that in the case of frankfurters,
viennas and cocktail viennas packed in natural casings, and provided that the container was packed to practical capacity with sausages, the drained mass shall be at least 60 % of the d.n.m. In the latter case, where the normal drained mass of 75 % cannot be achieved, the actual mass of sausages in the container shall be declared on the label, in addition to the net mass of the contents, in plain type of the same size and prominence as that used for the net mass.
In the case of boerewors packed in rich gravy, the mass of sausage packed shall be at least 70 % of the d.n.m.
7.13.5.2 If the actual drained mass of sausages packed as in 7.13.5.1, is less than the specified
minimum of 75 % and the product of the actual drained mass as a percentage of the d.n.m. and the
percentage of actual total meat content (determined in accordance with 1 I .3 and 11.4), divided by
100 gives a value of at least 49, the product shall be regarded as acceptable in relation to drained mass, provided that the product complies with 7.1 3.13.
7.13.6 Curing salts
The product may contain curing salts (see 6.7)
7.13.7 Blood plasma
Except in the case of blood sausages, no blood plasma may be added to the product.
7.13.8 Packing medium
Sausages other than viennas and frankfurters may be packed in fat characteristic of the meat used, in brine, or in a medium of agar-agar content not exceeding 2 % by mass. Viennas may be packed in brine of salt content 2 % to 6 %, or in a medium of gelatine content not exceeding 5 % by mass, or agar-agar content not exceeding 2 % by mass. Frankfurters shall be packed only in brine of salt content 2 % to 6 %. In the case of viennas and similar products, the packing medium shall not be uncharacteristically dark. When sausages are packed in a brine or clear packing medium, the packing medium shall not be turbid or cloudy, and shall be free of sediment.
7.13.9 Casings
Hog, sheep and synthetic casings that are of acceptable quality, sound and in a hygienic condition shall be used. Non-edible synthetic casings shall be removed from the sausage, without significant marking of the sausage, before it is canned.
7.13.10 Appearance and uniformity of size, shape and colour
The units in any one container shall be acceptably uniform in colour, size and shape and the shape of the units shall not be distorted or twisted. Any splitting and end-bursting shall not be such as to detract from the appearance of the product. Skinless units shall be completely separate one from the other. Cross-filling of units shall not be present. Cross-cut units shall be cleanly cut at right angles to the longitudinal axis. The units shall be free from impression marks, e.g. marks caused by the expansion rings of the side walls of a container.
7.13.11 Texture
Frankfurters, viennas and cocktail viennas shall have an evenly fine smooth and firm filled texture. The units shall be free from grittiness, coarse particles of natural binder, gristle and sinews, cavities or air pockets. The product shall not be soggy.
Sausages other than frankfurters, viennas and cocktail viennas, such as beef sausages, pork sausages and mixed meat sausages shall have a firm filled texture. It may be coarse, with pieces of meat characteristic of the product. The product shall be free from grittiness and internal and surface cavities. The product shall not be soggy.
7.13.12 Fill of container
The container shall be filled as full as is practicable with sausages.
7.13.13 Freedom from defects
The sausage units shall be free from staining, discolouration, serious rupturing of casings that detract from the normal appearance of the product, ragged ends, burst, damaged and broken units, and pieces of non-edible casings. The product shall be free from exuded fat or other material that detracts from its appearance. The sausage units shall not adhere to each other or to the inside surfaces of the container The sausage units shall not be excessively salty.
The product shall be free from sour flavours and off-flavours. 

Reference of the measure

Regulation 7.13 

Measure also domestic

Yes 

Products affected by the measure.

Description

Sausage 

Countries/Regions affected by the measure.

Description

All countries