After having received a question from a listener to VRT Radio 2’s consumer programme ‘WinWin’, VRT News’ consumer affairs team has investigated whether it is always safe to freeze fresh meat that we have bought at our local convenience store or supermarket. The Federal Food Safety Agency FAVV says by law it must be indicated on the packaging if meat that is being sold as “fresh” has previously been frozen. If this is the case the words “ontdooid/decongelé” (defrosted in Dutch and French) must appear on the packaging if the meat or meat product has been frozen during its production process.
Katrien Vanoverberghe from Kluisbergen in east Flanders is concerned about the veal liver she occasionally buys at her local supermarket. She contacted VRT Radio 2’s consumer affairs programme ‘WinWin’ to find out if her concerns are founded.
"While I was at the supermarket I couldn’t find any veal liver in the fresh meat fridge so I asked a staff member if they still had it. I was told that they had some in the freezer. I didn't think this was an issue, but I did wonder if all the veal liver they sell has been frozen. In this case a member of staff told me to look in the freezer, but shouldn’t it be on the packaging if meat has been frozen?
Customers must always be made aware if meat has been previously frozen
Katrien bought the frozen veal liver at a branch of the Delhaize supermarket chain in Kluisbergen (East Flanders). Delhaize’s spokesman Roel Dekelver told VRT News that "We only sell meat that has been previously frozen in exceptional circumstances. If we do sell it, we always indicate clearly on the packaging that this is the meat had first been frozen and then defrosted”. However, this as not the case with the veal liver that Katrien bought. She was told that it had been frozen by a member of staff in the shop.
Roel Dekelver "If the meat is freshly packed at the serving counter, then it can be communicated verbally that the meat is from the freezer. If the meat is already packed in the fridge, where the customer can take it themselves, then that should be clearly stated on the label. If that is not the case, then we will take it up with the shop and stress that they must follow the rules.
"Exceptions: beef carpaccio and butter"
The Food Safety Agency’s spokeswoman Liesbeth Van De Voorde explains that "Food that has been frozen before sale and sold defrosted must have the word 'defrosted' on the packaging." In Katrien's case with her veal liver, the supermarket was at fault, as it had not indicated on the packaging that the veal liver had been frozen.
There are exceptions to every rule and so this one too. "The packaging does not have to mention the word "defrosted" when one or more of the ingredients contained in a finished product have been frozen. An example of this is the ham on a fresh pizza. If the ham has been frozen, there is no need to say so on the pizza’s packaging."
"Another exception is when it has been technologically necessary to freeze a product. For example, slices of beef carpaccio have to be wafer-thin and to cut beef like this it has to have been frozen."
"Another exception is butter. If butter has been previously frozen, it has no negative impact on food safety. So, butter that has been previously frozen is not unhealthier, than if it had not been frozen," Ms Van De Voorde explained.