The aim of the focus action was to investigate preservatives, flavor enhancers, stabilizers, reddening agents and antioxidants in mixtures for the production of sausages and other meat products.

Twenty-nine samples from all over Austria were examined. Four samples were objected to:

• in three samples, vegetable fibers were used that did not comply with the legal requirements
• in one mixture, the ingredients were not fully listed on the label of the sausage produced

Additives are used in the production of sausages and other meat products as preservatives, flavor enhancers, stabilizers, reddening agents, antioxidants and for other technological purposes. In the finished products, some of the additives used are degraded, transformed or react with the ingredients of the meat products, so that analytical testing of additives in the ready-to-eat product does not allow accurate conclusions to be drawn about their actual use.