Steam in Meat, In Other Words, Minimal Meat Content
Mia Hoffmann
2026-03-17
4 min. read
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Parrots are one of the most popular products that are frequently purchased and consumed, yet they are also heavily criticized. On one hand, they are favored by children for their taste and texture, on the other hand, they are often criticized for their unhealthy content.
What truly constitutes a sausage?
It is a type of sausage in homogenized form, i.e. one that uses very finely ground raw materials for its production. And when considering the composition of a typical sausage, it is worth asking oneself the question: 'how much real meat is in a processed sausage?'. The criticism of this food product is not unfounded - most sausages contain a significant amount of various substances - fillers, and to a lesser extent - meat. So, what, aside from meat, can be found in this treat of many of us? - emulsion, which is also referred to on the label as 'skins' - the term itself suggests that it is not a good thing; these are finely ground raw pig or poultry skins, thanks to which the sausage is cheaper, but also less tasty and nutritious; - phosphates - E450, E451 and E452 - if they are listed in the composition of sausages - it is better to avoid them; for manufacturers, phosphates are an excellent filler - they cause protein expansion and allow for the addition of a larger amount of water; for children, phosphates are a barrier to calcium, which is particularly important in their diet - they hinder the absorption of this component, which is also significant in the nutrition of adults, due to the increased risk of osteoporosis; - other chemicals - apart from phosphates, it is easy to find also: nitrites and nitrates, emulsifiers, thickeners, flavor enhancers - the list of these substances can be long; - fillers - allowing manufacturers to lower production costs; among them, the most commonly used are: corn starch, buckwheat starch, soy or animal fat.
MOM, which refers to mechanically divided meat
This term is already quite commonly used, unfortunately often by food producers. For them it is a way to save in production, but for the consumer it means a product of low quality and unfortunately also characteristic of most sausages. When we buy a product containing MOM, we decide to consume not meat, but rather waste. This is because mechanically divided meat is made from parts that are theoretically not suitable for consumption, such as skin, bones or wings. The misconception that in the case of poultry it is possible to use claws and neck and head skin, and in the case of meat of another type bones and tails, is false. The meat-bone waste is pressed through special sieves, which leads to the formation of a fat-meat mass, in which there are also cartilages. In the final stage of production, this mass is transformed into a uniform pulp, ideally suited for the production of sausages. Although the definition of mechanically divided meat may seem repulsive, it is actually a very popular mass and widely used by producers. It is worth paying attention to the labels of the purchased products - unfortunately without difficulty it is possible to find those that instead of real meat contain up to 70% MOM.
Whether avoiding hot dogs when shopping is advisable – fundamental rules to adhere to
As in many cases, it is important to maintain common sense and read product labels. Here are the main rules to follow: - the most important element is the quantity of meat - if MOM is in the first place or the meat content is minimal, we should not consume such a product. However, it is advisable to minimize it, but we do not have to give it up completely. The highest quality of meat contains more than 70% meat, and there are even those with more than 90% meat value. The presence of phosphates in the composition is a sufficient reason to put the product back on the shelf. It is better to choose hot dogs without the so-called emulsion, i.e., ground skins, but if it is present, it should make up a maximum of 10% of the composition. Hot dogs with the image of children suggest that they are of better quality, but this is usually only a marketing trick - it is worth reading the composition, as it usually does not differ from the composition of the cheapest hot dogs. Beef hot dogs are more of a myth than a fact - beef is expensive meat, so it is not used to make hot dogs. However, this does not prevent manufacturers from creating 'beef hot dogs' whose price is much higher than that of poultry or pork, and the beef content in them is only 3%. When buying hot dogs by weight, we have the right to ask the seller to present their composition.
