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What is MOM? What products can you find them in? Why shouldn’t it be constantly on your menu?
It’s not really meat
MSM, or Mechanically Separated Meat, according to the European Union regulations, is not meat, but a product that has been obtained: “by removing meat from tissues adjacent to bones after detaching the carcass from them, or poultry carcasses by mechanical means, which leads to loss or modification of the structure of muscle fibers – this is Regulation No. 853/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 29, 2004.
Simply put, MSM is leftover material separated from the bones, ground into a smooth paste, and added to meat products.
So what can be in it?
When it comes to poultry MSM, it includes, among others, backs, wings and necks. On the other hand, the paws and the skin of the neck and head (in the case of poultry) cannot be used for the production of MSM. For other animals, different types of bones, limbs below the wrists and ankles, and tails must not be used to produce MSM.
What does the production of such meat look like?
The meat and bone mass is pressed through special cylindrical sieves. Larger bones remain on them. A kind of fat-meat pulp is formed with cartilage debris. It is then moved to the end of the screen and pressed there into a uniform smooth paste – this is MOM.
Mechanically Separated Meat is inexpensive
That is why it is found in inferior quality products. A kilogram of such meat costs less than PLN 2. They are used for the production of emulsion-based products, i.e. all finely ground and then compacted masses. You will find MOM in the composition of pies, sausages, canned food, some sausages, ready-made dishes such as stuffed cabbage, croquettes, meatballs, meatballs. Meat and fat mass is used in the production of fast-food – burgers or nuggets.
Always read the labels
It is better to give up the purchase of a product, eg a pate, in which the first place is taken by “Mechanically separated meat” or MSM (eg 30%). This means that if there is any other meat in this product, it must be less than 30%. The rest of the composition consists of preservatives, hardeners, improvers, etc.
MOM is not a valuable component of the diet
Mechanically separated meat contains too much fat, little protein, and a lot of harmful substances. According to the standards, such meat should not be more than 70% water, 20% fat and not less than 12% protein. It follows that products containing MSM can be twice as fat as those with regular meat.
It is important to know that MSM is especially prone to spoilage and bacterial attack because it is very fragmented. The greater the fragmentation, the easier the microbes develop. Therefore, products with mechanically separated meat must be protected with preservatives. They can be chemical agents (curing salts, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, sodium chloride, polyphosphates) or natural (e.g. soybean oil or rapeseed oil).
The regulations do not specify how many MSM may be in the composition of, for example, sausages. Therefore, these products may not contain valuable meat at all, but only meat-like MSM – fat, skins, as well as water, preservatives and flavor enhancers. That is why you should always carefully read the ingredients of sausages or pates and not be fooled by names such as: delicious, traditional, etc.
As products containing MSM are not wholesome, they should not be given to children under 5 years of age, as well as to people suffering from liver and gastrointestinal diseases, on an easily digestible diet. They should not be eaten by pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.
This does not mean that everyone else can eat MSM products without restriction. Why? Excess animal fat can raise cholesterol levels dangerously, leading to atherosclerosis and heart attacks. In addition to MSM, these products also contain preservatives that can cause allergies. Sodium citrate is sometimes used as flavor enhancers, which blocks the absorption of calcium needed by bones.
Tekst: Iwona Janczarek
Consultation: dr inż. Agnieszka Leciejewska, dietitian, food and nutrition specialist, www.diety-w-chorobach.reveez.com