Meat pies
Recently, there has been a lot of talk about meat pies. Much of it has concentrated on exactly how much meat is inside a meat pie and the existing law covering meat and vegetable pies.
Here at the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA), we've written this fact sheet so you can find out exactly what is being proposed.
Other Fact Sheets of Relevance:
The Review of Food Standards
At the moment, ANZFA is reviewing all the food regulations in Australia and New Zealand. This is because many of the food laws are more than 20 years old and out of date. The standards also need to be streamlined so food inspectors have more time to concentrate on major food safety issues.
Public health and safety is the Review's number one concern. Be reassured that food standards will be kept where there is any danger to the community if they're removed.
Percentage labelling—the key to knowing how much meat is in a meat pie
At the moment, it's pretty hard to know exactly how much meat is in a meat pie. However, this could all change if a new way of labelling by percentage is introduced. At the moment, only pies 70g or more, are required to have a minimum of 25 per cent meat. In New Zealand, the requirement is lower at 24.5 per cent.
As proposed under percentage labelling, the amount (%) of key ingredients in foods will have to be printed on food labels. This would include the amount of meat in meat pies. This way, you'd be able to pick up a frozen pie out of the supermarket freezer and check how much meat is in it. You would know whether you are buying a pie with 25 per cent, 30 per cent, 35 per cent or more meat in it - you decide before you buy. You’d also be able to compare a whole range of pies for value for money.
It’s also proposed that if you buy an unpackaged meat pie, say at the footy or from a bakery straight from the pie warmer, the amount of meat (%) in the meat pie would have to be displayed for you to see.
Pies must be pies
Meat pies must have meat in them otherwise manufacturers would be prosecuted under consumer deception laws.
Meat pies must also be absolutely safe to eat. There are many laws controlling the processing and sale of meat and meat products. The Food Acts in Australia and in New Zealand make it an offence to sell food that is adulterated or unfit for human consumption.
There have been media reports saying that if the laws were changed, pies would have all sorts of offal in them. At the moment, it's not illegal to add offal to pies—that's how come you can buy and eat a steak and kidney pie.
The new proposal says that manufacturers must tell you if offal is added to a pie.This means that a packaged pie must have the type of offal listed on the label. If you buy a pie from the footy or out of a pie warmer, there would have to be a sign telling you that offal has been used in the pie.
Under percentage labelling, the amount (%) of offal would have to be listed on the label.
Meat pies – who decides?
The final decision about meat pies will be made later this year by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council, which is made up of Australian and New Zealand Health Ministers.
For people who haven’t already and would like to make a comment, please write to us before 22 Septemberso we can consider your comments in the Inquiry Report. If we have heard from you already, thank you very much for your comments.
For further information or a copy of the Full Assessment Report for meat and meat products, contact ANZFA on (02) 6271 2222 Canberra or
(04) 473 9942 Wellington, or check our website
PO Box 7186 | PO Box 10559 |
Canberra BC | The Terrace |
ACT 2610 | Wellington 6036 |
Australia | New Zealand |