Windhoek — Contaminated meat products from South Africa could potentially spell disaster for the local meat industry if Namibia's meat loving consumers decide they would rather eat poultry or fish to avoid eating donkey meat incorrectly labelled as beef.
A recent study by scientists from Stellenbosch University in South Africa discovered traces of donkey, goat and water buffalo in up to 68 percent of 139 samples of minced meat, burger patties, deli meats, sausages and dried meat that were tested. The study also found plant ingredients that were not declared on the products' packaging labels. The meat scandal originally started in Europe and has now spread to Asia and other parts of the world.
An imported lasagne brand was pulled from the shelves in Hong Kong, while Czech authorities recently ordered similar action on frozen meals mislabelled as beef. "I am aware of some people in Namibia who use soya and other products to make their sausage heavier and as a result more expensive," commented local butcher Manna Hansen of Palms Butchery in Khomasdal. Hansen added that he is not aware of any butcher in the country that has ever mislabelled any meat products.
But another butcher in Windhoek's Klein Windhoek suburb, who preferred anonymity, said he is aware of some people who mix different kinds of meat in sausages and then sell these as 100 percent beef sausage. Despite requests by consumers to scientists who exposed the meat scandal to name and shame the suppliers, retailers and butchers whose products were tested, no such information has been forthcoming.
"The focus of our research was not to name and shame, but rather to force corrective action," said Prof Louw Hoffman, co-author of the shocking study that revealed the mislabelling of processed meat products. "At the time of the study, the practice of incorrect labelling was widespread. Now retailers and butchers have started labelling correctly and are even sending meat samples for verification," added Prof Hoffman.
Meanwhile, South Africa's Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies tasked that country's National Consumer Commission (NCC) to further investigate the matter. The NCC said on Thursday last week that the probe could include pulling meat off shop shelves for random testing. Local supermarket chain, Pick 'n Pay, last week told New Era that it has rigorous internal procedures that ensure the product contents and ingredients are accurately reflected on the packaging.
"While some of our stores stock game products like ostrich, each is marked clearly on the packaging and we do not stock any zebra or donkey nor horsemeat products," commented Roux-che Locke, group manager for external relations at Ohlthaver and List, the parent company of Pick 'n Pay.
Also, according to the DNA tests, most of South Africa's biltong has little to do with the ingredients on the label. Game biltong, which is popular with the health conscious, since it is considered lean and free-range, is the most mislabelled, according to a study by scientists from the University of the Western Cape.
"The finding was that there is a major substitution of species in the market," said researcher Maria Eugenia D'Amato. Of the 146 samples tested by the University of the Western Cape over 100 contained undeclared meat species. All the samples marked beef were correctly labelled, but for the most badly labelled 92 percent of packets of 'kudu biltong' contained different species such as horse, giraffe, pork, beef and even kangaroo.
Researchers were concerned that one sample labelled zebra, contained meat from a mountain zebra, a species threatened with extinction. "Some of the substitutions are intentional, because kangaroo does not occur in South Africa and it must have been imported," D'Amato added.
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Is seal meat being mislabeled in Namibia? After receiving a tip off, we believe this may be so. We have been told everything from the seal hunt is utilised. We know the genitals get exported. We know the oil and skins get exported. We know very little revenue is generated from these yet the government is adamant they will continue slaughtering seals despite massive international criticism. Why? There is very little information as to what happens to the meat. Why the secrecy? What is the Namibian government so afraid of? What are they hiding? Some accounts mention the seal meat gets ground up and made into pets mince or added to cattle feed. In South Africa it is illegal to add meat derivatives to cattle feed. If it gets added to pets mince, surely the public has a right to be informed which products these are? If you feed your cat tinned fish, surely you want to be sure she is eating tinned fish. Or do you want her eating tinned seal? If the meat is distributed to feed the poor, we have the following situation. 81% of Cape Fur seals are infected with cestodes and nematodes. (round worm, tape worm and hook worm) Seals are “harvested” under unhygenic conditions, where they urinate and defecate out of fear for their lives. The dead are left in piles under the baking sun with flies buzzing all over them and are then carted on the back of unrefrigerated open air vehicles to processing locations. Here they are handled by dirty workers who are not wearing protective gear. Severe worm infestations can lead to Ascariasis which can result in septacemia and death. Seal meat is also contaminated with heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead. Consumption of this meat can lead to Minimata Disease. Our question then begs the following. Is the Namibian government knowingly and willfully poisoning their own people? According to the Animal Health Act of 2011, a heath certificate is required for exportation of animals, animal products and restricted material. Paragraph 13 (1) of the Act states ‘a person may not export any animal, animal product or restricted material from Namibia except if the person has obtained a health certificate from the Chief Veterinary Officer.’ “The Seals of Nam” hereby challenge any body to produce health certificates clearing every seal slaughtered to be free from disease or parasites. If the meat is being exported (and according to the CITES trade database it is) then the 1991 amendment to the Animal Protection Act of 1962, which deals with the export of meat or meat products to prescribed countries, is being violated. The amendment states “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any law contained, no meat or meat product derived from a prescribed animal shall be exported to any prescribed country, unless such an animal was slaughtered at a prescribed abattoir.” Cape Cross is a seal reserve. There is no mention of it being a prescribed abattoir. We understand Advocate Walters has ruled that a seal is not an animal and thus the Animal Protection Act does not apply. His ruling is clearly that of a madman as multiple scientific dictionary definitions contradict his opinion. Seals are mammals, of the order Carnivora. They are warm blooded and give birth to live young. They are animals. They are not insects, reptiles, invertebrates, birds or electric trains. We openly and publicly challenge the Meat Board of Namibia to give us their assurances and categorically state that no seal meat is being used for human consumption. If it is, we demand to know why meat that is being “harvested” under unhygenic conditions is being fed to the public and is being exported. We want labeling on all products to be clear as to stating “contains seal meat” Should the Meat Board deny that seal meat is being used, we would like to see an enquiry such as South Africa has undertaken. We believe Biltong would be high on the list as would burger patties.