D.Dundulis stated that the increase in the weight of fresh meat by injecting water compensates for the packaging and packaging costs, allowing it to be sold with a higher profit.
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“Shouldn’t the label on such meat indicate, as it is in some Western countries, that the meat is ‘with added water’, as well as the percentage of added water?” he wondered.
In response, Žilvinas Lenktaitis, head of the largest meat producer in Lithuania, Biovela Group, stated that the company constantly monitors the market and conducts product tests and has not noticed that the largest Lithuanian fresh meat producers supplying products to retail chains apply injection practices.
“However, we record cases where fresh meat supplied by foreign suppliers contains additional water content that was not declared on the product labeling,” emphasized the head of Biovela Group.
He added that the fresh meat supplied by Biovela Group is not injected.
“We do not use additional water, brine, or other technological solutions aimed at increasing the product’s weight or changing its natural properties,” the comment from Ž. Lenktaitis read.
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He added that European Union requirements stipulate that fresh meat is a natural product to which water or other substances cannot be additionally added.
“If water, brine, or other ingredients are injected into the meat during the technological process, such a product can no longer be considered fresh meat and must be labeled accordingly,” emphasized Ž. Lenktaitis.
He urged that when discussing problems occurring in the market, their scale and origin should be precisely identified so that isolated cases do not become unfounded generalizations about all producers in the country.
