Inspections have revealed that Supreme Poultry, the company at the centre of the frozen chicken controversy, is abusing brine injections in its chickens.
The inspections, which were conducted by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries at the Supreme Poultry plant in Botshabelo, found that brine abuse is a threat to consumer safety.
Normally this method is only allowed on breast meat, the department said on Wednesday. Brine injection is, however, currently used on all portions of poultry meat.
The department said it realised over time that this technique is now being abused by injecting excessive quantities of brine, which range from 30 percent to 60 percent in individual quick frozen (IQF) portions.
Interim results from the Agricultural Research Council clearly indicate that brine injection of IQF chicken portions, as practised in South Africa, results in excessive moisture loss during defrosting and cooking of such meat.
The practice also results in nutrient dilution as demonstrated by the lower protein and energy content of the four commercially available IQF portions tested, compared to control portions known not to be injected with brine.
Supreme Poultry made headlines in December 2010 for allegedly thawing, washing, injecting, rebranding, then reselling the chickens with new expiry dates to shopping outlets. – BuaNews
Reprocessed frozen chickens produced by Supreme Poultry, the third-biggest supplier of chicken in South Africa, were also given new expiry dates.
Former employees said that the practice had been ongoing since 2004 and that some of the chickens were treated with chlorine to reduce the bacterial load.
Supreme Poultry, which is owned by Country Bird, at the time of the scandal supplied Pick n Pay, Shoprite/Checkers and other outlets with frozen chickens.
Alan Straton
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It’s a clucking rip-off………..
It’s a clucking rip-off………..
less meat for the buyer and more ching ching for the thieving companies-so what’s new?
And the rich get richer and the poor carry on being screwed – aaah stop it – we love it.