1.1 Minimum standards for all products

Found in:

Bacon & Gammon / Production Specification Guidance

The following minimum standards shall apply to all BMPA Quality Assured Bacon and Gammon products:

The surface of the product shall be clean and free from extraneous matter including tar.
Rind, where present, shall be clean, free of bruises, hair and stubble.
The lean shall be of a good colour, free of bruising, mis-cure, bone fragments, and excessive levels of blood spots.
The fat shall be firm and white and no evidence of bruising, separation, softness or discolouration.
The product shall show no signs of spoilage e.g. odour, colour or taste
The product shall be virtually free of jelly pockets, excessive moisture and separation of lean and fatty tissues.
Where rind or rind plus back fat have been added to the product, this shall adhere securely to the meat.
Bacon shall be free of bone splinters, bone-dust and loose debris.
In moulded products, the lean meat shall retain its intrinsic muscle structure.

Guidance

The mis-curing of product can adversely affect the appearance of product. This may be caused by poor distribution of cure, insufficient curing time, or by blocked injection needles that can cause a problem referred to as “tiger stripping” where the needle pattern is clearly visible in the lean muscle of the product being produced”.

Refer to the BMPA/PTF Bacon Code of Practice for further information and guidance.

Evidence

Visual inspection of product.