Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies a procedure to determine the HADH activity in poultry meat samples by spectrophotometry. The results can provide an indication whether poultry breast meat has been previously frozen based on the ratio of relative HADH activity, and can be used to verify the labelling of poultry breast meat sold as chilled poultry. A result above a value of 0,5 for the ratio of HADH activity from a sample before and after laboratory freezing, indicates that the sample has been previously frozen.

This document is applicable to chicken and turkey breast meat but can be used for other cuts and/or species with appropriate limit values. Additional validation can be required. The document is not applicable to minced meat or to poultry preparations. The compliance assessment process is not part of the document

Purpose

The purpose of this proposed CEN standard is to establish a reliable and standardized method for detecting previously frozen poultry meat through the determination of Hydroxyacyl-CoA Dehydrogenase (HADH) activity. The intention is to address a critical need within the poultry industry and regulatory bodies for a scientifically robust and internationally accepted approach to verify the freezing history of poultry products. The proposed standard aims to enhance consumer confidence, ensure fair trade practices, and support compliance with food safety regulations.

The EC Poultry meat Marketing Standards Regulation (1906/90), which is now incorporated into Council Regulation 1234/2007, requires that poultry meat (whole birds and portions) is labelled to reflect the storage conditions that have been employed (fresh, frozen or rapidly frozen), and defines the temperature conditions employed for each category. However, refrigeration technologies are now available which may not comply with the conditions specified in the regulations and could result in the mislabelling of poultry meat. Therefore, there is a need for the implementation of a robust analytical method that is capable of distinguishing between fresh and previously frozen poultry for the enforcement of the relevant regulatory legislation.

The proposal describes a method based on the measurement of ß-hydroxyacyl-CoAdehydrogenase (HADH) activity, which is released when mitochondrial organellar membranes are damaged during freezing and thawing. Hence, the ratio (R1)of the HADH activity of intercellular fluid isolated for sub-samples tested prior to and after laboratory freezing may be compared to a reference cut-off in order to determine the likelihood of the sample having been previously frozen.

Justification:

a) Consumer Confidence and Safety

b) Preventing Fraudulent Practices

c) Regulatory Compliance

d) International Harmonization

Technical Topics:

a) HADH Activity Measurement Methodology

b) Calibration and Standardization

c) Detection Limits and Sensitivity:

d) Validation and Performance Criteria:

e) Reporting and Interpretation of Results:

The method has been successfully trialled internationally across 24 laboratories, some of which had no previous experience of the method. The majority of samples were correctly classified as either chilled or previously frozen despite there being analytical variability in results reported by different laboratories1. Some improvement in the analytical variability would be beneficial but is not essential as the performance achieved in the collaborative trial has shown that the method is fit for identifying previously frozen chicken to a high degree of confidence. The results of the study show that the procedure is suitable to distinguish between chilled and pre-frozen chicken breast meat using the proposed cut-off limit of R1 = 0.5. If the mean of 3 observations is used, then 99.9 % of frozen samples will be correctly identified using this limi1,2t.

In summary, the proposed CEN standard addresses a crucial gap in the poultry industry by providing a standardized method for detecting previously frozen poultry meat based on HADH activity determination. The standard will contribute to enhanced consumer confidence, fair trade practices, regulatory compliance, and international harmonization in the poultry trade.

1 Elahi, Selvarani & Lawrance, Paul & Topping, Joanna & Ellison, Stephen & Woolfe, Mark. (2016). Poultry marketing controls – Inter-laboratory validation of a method to detect previously frozen chicken breasts by determination of HADH activity. Food Control. 68. 10.1016/j.foodcont.2016.03.046 2 Inter-laboratory validation of a method for detecting previously frozen poultry meat by determination of HADH activity. (AGRI-2012-C4-05), inclusive of the method SOP https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2020-02/ext-study-prev-frozen-polutryfulltext_2013_en_0.pdf