5 replies to this topic

[GMO]

I wasn't aware of the new proposal for the "defrosted" label to appear on foods which have been frozen. I believe (please correct me if I'm wrong) that this is already a requirement for things like meat or fish but until the food manufacture update popped into my inbox this weekend, I didn't realise the extent of the proposal.

http://www.foodmanuf...ted-designation

So what do you all think? Personally I am still surprised by the extent of freezing going on in "chilled" foods but how much do we want people to know?

As a consumer, it does bother me that some butter (especially imported butter) is frozen prior to being sold. It bothers me that some "party foods" are frozen in the lead up to Christmas then defrosted prior to sale. I don't agree with freezing of hot cross buns either, it just seems wrong to me.

But having said all that, without freezing cooked, frozen imported chicken the ready meal and sandwich industry in the UK would not exist (or at least not as successfully and profitably as it does) but it honestly shocked me when I entered these industries that your average ready meal is made which chicken killed, cooked and frozen in Thailand or Brazil.

So what are your thoughts? What is your knowledge?

[Charles.C]

Dear GMO,

In some industries, it might hv been easier to reverse the directive.

We're no different from anyone else in the food industry, and we think you should only have to label products as such if you are misleading the consumer. The need for change is not proven, since there are no safety or quality derogation issues.

Hmmm.

I still haven't forgotten the ambient sausage roll. But at least it was labelled.

Rgds / Charles.C

[GMO]

Ha ha! But I do think the food industry is misleading the customer if we're honest. I don't think most people would expect the ingredients (or the entirety) of their chilled product to have been previously frozen. I think the food industry's reluctance says it all. If we didn't think we were misleading customers, we'd be happy to put it on right?

Of course though, where do you stop? Say, for example an average mid-priced chilled ready meal curry will contain chicken which has been previously cooked and frozen and the sauce might be made from frozen diced onions, frozen peppers, frozen garlic, frozen chilli...

[Simon]

As a consumer if it has no safety, quality or ethical issue then I'm not really bothered. In some cases labels would have to be very big indeed and frankly I've not got the time nor the inclination. As long as the price is on and those percentage (%) figures for sugar, salt, saturates etc.

[trubertq]

Hi guys,

I have come late to this discussion but I am wondering where I would go to get clarification on this amendment for my client.

The implications for them are quite huge since theirs is a seasonal product which is processed , frozen and then tempered back to chilled temperatures ( under a controlled process) for sale as a chilled product.

The other issue is using the date of capture/ catch as a production date ( they process shellfish).

All their raw material is live when it arrives on site, so surely the production date is the date it is killed and processed rather than the day of catch, some shell-fishermen can be out for a few days on viver boats, therefore they would have no way of knowing exactly when a product is caught?

Just when you think it's safe to get back in the water..........

P.S. I just passed my BRC lead auditor course.... I am sooooo happy

[Esther]

Dear GMO

You are right, the indication of " defrosted product" on the label is quite an old requeriment at least for some kind of food like fishery products. I think that all yours comments or doubts can became clear if you real annex VI of regulation 1169/2011.

As a consumer I think I could make sense to know if a product has already been frozen as to avoid to refrozen it at home for instance.

Regards
ESther

I wasn't aware of the new proposal for the "defrosted" label to appear on foods which have been frozen. I believe (please correct me if I'm wrong) that this is already a requirement for things like meat or fish but until the food manufacture update popped into my inbox this weekend, I didn't realise the extent of the proposal.

http://www.foodmanuf...ted-designation

So what do you all think? Personally I am still surprised by the extent of freezing going on in "chilled" foods but how much do we want people to know?

As a consumer, it does bother me that some butter (especially imported butter) is frozen prior to being sold. It bothers me that some "party foods" are frozen in the lead up to Christmas then defrosted prior to sale. I don't agree with freezing of hot cross buns either, it just seems wrong to me.

But having said all that, without freezing cooked, frozen imported chicken the ready meal and sandwich industry in the UK would not exist (or at least not as successfully and profitably as it does) but it honestly shocked me when I entered these industries that your average ready meal is made which chicken killed, cooked and frozen in Thailand or Brazil.

So what are your thoughts? What is your knowledge?