Nov 4, 2026 - Foods
Cooked cured meats from pork and poultry: When must "assembled from pieces of meat" be declared?
Cooked cured products such as cooked ham or comparable products made from poultry are among established meat products. The Federal Association of Food Inspectors of Germany (Bundesverband der Lebensmittelkontrolleure Deutschlands e. V. (BVLK)) reports in the professional journal Der Lebensmittelkontrolleur on the delimitation problem between cooked cured products assembled from pieces of meat and cooked cured products not assembled from pieces of meat.
The decisive factor is the actual nature of the product. For cooked cured products it must be considered whether the character of a single, i.e. grown, piece of meat is retained or whether several pieces of meat are technologically joined into one product. Especially for products that externally give the impression of a single piece of meat, correct labeling is of particular importance. For meat products that may appear to consist of a whole piece of meat but are actually assembled from different pieces of meat, the method of joining is relevant for the food's designation. The indication “assembled from pieces of meat” thus serves to transparently inform the consumer about the product's actual nature.
The issue is not limited exclusively to classic cooked ham products made from pork. The BVLK article explicitly also addresses cooked cured poultry products and thereby clarifies that manufacturers of comparable poultry products must also take the labeling systematics into account.
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Source:
- Cooked cured products from pork and poultry – assembled from pieces of meat and not assembled from pieces of meat; LMK – Der Lebensmittelkontrolleur, Issue 03/2026, ed. BVLK