Johannesburg - Consumers have been warned about the
incorrect labelling of some frozen chicken products sold across the country.
The health department said the warning applied to frozen
chicken portions, also referred to as "Individually Quick Frozen
(IQF)" chicken portions.
"The description fails to inform the consumer that the
product purchased by them is a composite foodstuff, consisting of chicken
portions to which the processor added a brine-based mixture or solution,"
health spokesperson Fidel Radebe said.
The brine-based mixture consisted of water, salt and food
additives, including thickeners and flavourants, and was injected into the
chicken portions.
Hadebe said in some cases the percentage of the brine-based
mixture added to the chicken portions was as high as 30%, of which 29%
was water.
He said this negatively affected quality from a nutritional
perspective, and increased the amount of salt present. Incorrect, or sometimes
absent, labelling on the products was not a food safety issue.
"It is considered important that consumers are made aware of the situation regarding the actual contents of these products and to thus allow them the opportunity to use their discretion when purchasing these products."