Foodinnovation@abertay is a specialist centre based at the University of Abertay Dundee providing technical support to food and drink companies. The Centre is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund which allows East of Scotland eligible companies to receive the service free of charge.

One of FIA’s main objectives is to help companies produce healthier products by means of recipe modification, fat and salt reduction etc.

Meat products are often described as being high in fat and salt content. There has been very little examination of the real levels of fat and salt in meat products made by Scottish craft butchers but now SFMTA has now been given the opportunity to work with FIA to establish what the levels are.

FIA in conjunction with the SFMTA, will work on this project and will be contacting butchers in the East of Scotland. Results will be compared to the Food Standards Agency’s traffic light food labelling system that was adopted by multiple retailers (Sainsbury’s etc).

Depending on the outcome of the analysis, FIA can suggest ways of reducing fat content with the aim to produce a healthier product without affecting the overall sensory quality of the products.

The project will commence with sampling of beef sausages from a number of butchers and subsequent analysis of fat and salt content.

The work will be carried out confidentially under code and the results will be used to produce a “model” sausage that could be used by / adopted to the requirements of individual companies.

SFMTA has written to all members whose business’s post code is highlighted as eligible for funding in the ERDF database and therefore participation in the project will be free of charge. If you wish to find out more about the project or indeed participate, please do not hesitate to contact either

Panos Mavromatis, foodinnovation@abertay . p.mavromatis@abertay.ac.uk
01382 308674 or better still visit Panos on the Foodinnovation@abertay stand at the Scottish Meat Trade Fair on Sunday 13th May at the Dewars Centre, Perth.