Source:  Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 6/5/09

A small study by the British Food Standards Agency into ingredients in chicken products has found undeclared beef and pork proteins may be added to chicken breast products to help them retain water.

The ingredients were added primarily to items intended for foodservice.

In the U.K., water can be added to chicken products (not fresh chicken), up to 5 percent content. Additives to enhance water retention, such as salt, phosphates and hydrolyzed animal proteins, must be described on the label.

The agency's study looked at a small number of injection powders that claimed to contain only chicken protein, but were found to include proteins from beef or pork in some cases, ingredients that were not declared on the label.

The finding has alarmed the 2 million Muslims, Jews and Hindus living in the region, whose religious or cultural practices prohibit consuming pork or beef.

The FSA, in a release announcing the study results, promises consumers that restaurants and other foodservice organizations will be able to tell customers if a chicken dish contains hydrolyzed animal proteins that may include beef or pork.

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