• All pork and pork ingredients (including fat and rinds) used are Red Tractor assured (or equivalent) and meet the pork quality attributes
• Pork is either fresh or frozen
• The meat content of a pork sausage is at least 52%, with the definition of meat being as defined in legislation. The meat content may include:
  • fat up to 30%
  • connective tissue up to 25% collagen/ protein ratio
  • neck end/ jowl meat up to 10% (unless trimmed of all glands) e.g. maximum of 5.2% in a 52% pork content sausage
  • rinds, or dehydrated rinds that have been rehydrated in line with manufacturer’s instructions up to 10% e.g. maximum of 5.2% in a 52% pork content sausage
• Other ingredients used in pork sausages are used in accordance with legal requirements. Ingredients may include:
  • a maximum of 1.38g salt or 550mg sodium per 100g of raw sausage meat; with the product range average not exceeding 1.13g salt or 450mg sodium per 100g sausages
  • added Phosphate (E450, E451, E452) up to 0.5% of the total recipe
  • natural and artificial colours up to legislative limits
  • the use of preservatives permitted by legislation
  • the use of preservative sulphur dioxide up to 450ppm of the final product at point of sale
• Natural or artificial casings are used. Natural casings do not need to derive from an assured source

• Non-permitted ingredients include:
  • head meat (with the exception of masseters)
  • liver skirts
  • blood products
  • offal
  • mechanically separated meat
  • monosodium glutamate
  • functional proteins and fat emulsions
  • non assured meat, trim, rinds or fat
  • meat, trim or fat from species other than pigs

• Where the site is assembling component packs e.g. pigs in blankets, only the clauses contained within the Red Tractor Pork Quality Module (Assured Pork Sausages) (or equivalent) appropriate to the process being undertaken shall apply

• Recipe details all ingredients used, including casings
• Ingredients used are permitted by the scheme standards

• Sausage meat is ground by mincing or bowl chopping and mixed together with other ingredients to a documented recipe with a documented methodology
• Methods used ensure the quality requirements are achieved
• The methodology is appropriate to the recipe and specifies equipment to be used, the frequency of mincing, and quantities of ingredients, etc. to be added
• Recipes and methodologies may be customer led or be specific to the company
• Methodologies may apply to multiple recipes

• Raw sausages will:
  • have visible particles of raw meat
  • be well formed, cylinder in shape
  • not have excessive drip
  • be free from off-odours
• Cooked sausages will:
  • have an even, light brown colour
  • retain their original shape, with no splitting or significant shrinkage
  • have a firm texture, with absence of hard particles (bone, gristle) and excessive fat
  • have a well-balanced flavour and no metallic taste, off-flavours and taints

• Specification details quality parameters to be checked on the production line, including appearance, packing requirements and temperature
• Specifications agreed formally with customers
• Specifications are easily available to staff

• The product is cooked as per the recipe instructions, to achieve an internal core temperature of 72˚C
• The cooking loss is established using the following calculation:

Finished cooked (+72°c) weight ÷ Raw weight x 100 = total cooked weight % (difference up to 100 = % cook loss)

• The following specification is met. The specification may not be appropriate to sausages containing raw vegetables, herbs, etc. Where that is the case the site has set its own targets and limits

Target Limit
ACC <5 x 104 cfu/ g <5 x 106 cfu/ g
Yeast/ moulds <5 x 103 cfu/ g <5 x 104 cfu/ g
E. coli <50 cfu/ g 5 x 102 cfu/ g
Salmonella Absent in 5, 10g samples Absent in 5, 10g samples

• All recipes are verified prior to use and at a risk assessed frequency going forward
• Samples of finished products are tested:
  • at a risk assessed frequency for microbiological criteria and chemical analysis for meat, fat and salt and sulphur dioxide content
  • against organoleptic criteria at least monthly
• Systems of verification include:
  • NPD trials
  • traceability of raw materials
  • organoleptic testing, including taste panels
  • microbiological and chemical analysis testing
  • review of completed process records
• Records of monitoring are kept

• Non-conforming products are handled in accordance with documented procedures
• Non-conformities are trended and where they are repeated a root cause analysis is undertaken and corrective action implemented
• Records are kept

• Vacuum packed, gas flushed or deep chilled products may be processed after the 4 days, provided the temperature does not exceed 3 degrees and shelf life verification demonstrates quality is not compromised
• Sensory evaluation is used to determine shelf life

• Temperatures of both chill stores and products monitored in accordance with a risk assessed schedule
• Checks are made during sausage preparation, filling and during storage
• Records of temperature monitoring kept

• Corrective actions are implemented where appropriate
• A record of the root cause and corrective actions is kept