BRC doesn’t mince words
A study claiming that the fat content labels used on minced beef can be inaccurate, has been condemned as misleading by the British Retail Consortium (BRC).
The study by the Local Government Group revealed that beef mince labelled as ‘lean’ or ‘extra lean’ could contain more fat than standard mince. However, the BRC says that supermarkets go well beyond legal labelling requirements.
“This report misleadingly concentrates on the 119 samples from supermarkets. What about the 394 other samples the authors say were taken?” says BRS food director Andrew Opie. “Supermarkets always provide full nutritional information and indicate typical fat content on packs even though there is no legislation covering fat levels in mince or any legal requirement to label with that information.
“The fat content of mince varies depending on factors such as the cuts of meat used, the season and the animal’s feed.
“The average fat figures the survey found for standard, lean and extra lean mince were all within industry guidelines and within the tolerances recommended by LACORS.”
