Brand and Quality
Posted on August 19, 2007, by Conor O'Neill, under Cork, Food.
Clonakilty Black Pudding is rightly famous and many people were saddened by the passing of Edward Twomey who made it into a formidable brand. Over the years they have diversified a bit and I see their sausages almost everywhere. We’ve tended to buy them as our “standard” saturday sausage when supermerket buying (going more with Caherbeg or Gubbeen for a treat).
This morning I spotted an extra sticker on the pack and initially had to giggle “This product does not contain Colour Red 2g (E128)……It contains Colour (Carmine E120)”. Then I thought “what the hell is food colouring doing in a sausage?”. Surely pork, pork fat, rusk and seasoning is all that is needed in a quality banger?
So I looked at the ingredients and got depressed. 53% meat! That’s worse than most discount “value” bangers in a supermarket. It continued “E221 preservative, E621 flavour enhancer, E120 colour, Spice extract, Antioxidant E301″
A quick decode via Google gives: E221=Sodium Sulphite, E621=Monosodium Glutamate, E120=Cochineal, E301=Sodium Ascorbate. You think MSG in a sausage is bad, wait until you see this. Wonder why the E128 that they were using was replaced with E120?
Following safety concerns raised by EFSA in its opinion of 5 July 2007 [2], the European Commission has prepared a draft Regulation to suspend use of E128 as a food colouring. This proposed course of action was unanimously approved by European Union Member States at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health (Section Toxicological Safety of the Food Chain) on 20 July 2007
Now that I think about it, I normally associate “red” sausages with cheap and nasty. I was just led astray by the good name in this case. I hate seeing great brands ruined by a race for volume. We’ll be looking more closely at our sausage purchases from now on.
14 Replies to "Brand and Quality"
conor on August 19, 2007
Everything but the oink is ok in sausages as far as I’m concerned but 3% less meat and suddenly you are buying “Rusk Sausages” or “Pork Flavoured Sausages”. They would go nicely with a glass of Sunny-D and some Smash.
Michael Wagner on August 19, 2007
“I hate seeing great brands ruined by a race for volume.”
That is a sentiment a lot of people share when they see some product or service they once loved ruined.
The “race for volume” usually signals someone has given up on being a unique brand. The word soon spreads.
On the ingredients you found in your sausage I was reminded of the famous observation of Bismark: “laws are like sausages, it’s better not to see them being made.”
Great to find your blog!
Keep creating,
Mike
conor on August 19, 2007
I’ve made my own in the past. Rebecca of Irish Craftworker Blog has had some recent success with her own pigs and I’m hankering to get back in the saddle.
Anthony on August 20, 2007
You might be interested in looking at http://www.slowfoodireland.com/presidia–ark-page37615.html.
Slow Food Ireland has taken into its Ark the Raw Blood Puddings of Ireland.
These traditional puddings are under threat from the rules and regulations imposed both here and the EU.
conor on August 20, 2007
That’s a wonderful initiative, Anthony. The Irish and the French should join together to kick some bureaucrat ass on this one.
David on August 25, 2007
It’s bacon that gets me. I mean how do they manager to make a rasher that’s only 80% pork!
Actually I know the answer, they inject the carcass with water and preservatives so 20% of what you’re buying is waste.
conor on August 25, 2007
The ones that freak me are “dry-cure” rashers that still leak saline all over the pan!
Anthony on August 25, 2007
David posed a rhetorical question which drove me to have a quick look at our Content Statement for our rashers and lo and behold we have Meat Porcine: 105%!
That has always amused me, but do look around at pre-packed hams in supermarkets and you can get levels of 60%.
omahonnelly on September 12, 2007
I always wondered how the Clonakilty Food Company can be considered a West Cork product when it is mass produced in Little Island?
I’ve been on the search for the best no-carb/low-carb sausages. Gubeen do a couple of varieties (that are lovely). Next to that Rosscarbery Recipes does a gluten free that has some potato starch; almost as good as the regular ones.
On holiday in the US, with it’s massive varieties of most products, it was hard to find a decent sausage; so we should really take advantage of the real quality sausages on offer here!
conor on September 12, 2007
I didn’t know they were down with Pfizers!
After I wrote this post I was in Dunne’s in Bishopstown. Every single packet of sossies I picked up, including own-brand ones, were at 80% pork except Clonakilty.
I don’t have huge issues with labelling like that as long as the product is good. e.g. a separate company makes Ballymaloe relishes and ice-cream.
Alastair McDermott on September 13, 2007
I buy pretty much soley based on %. There’s some pretty good unknown names out there. Clonalkilty Black Pudding still beats them all though - it’s great soakage on a Sunday 
Anthony on September 13, 2007
Remember that sausuages aren’t just pure pork meat; there has to be a reasonable percentage of rusk/bread to bind it together.
Yann Chef on October 13, 2007
There is the reason why the EU has expressed their concern about the RED 2G (E128).
There is a possible hazard to people suffering blood enzyme disorders.
It is reportedly linked to food intolerance reactions and allergies.
E 128 is a red synthetic coal tar or azo dye found mainly in cooked meat products and sausages but can also be found in jams and drinks.
Concerns that it can interfere with blood haemoglobin.
It is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group recommends be eliminated from the diet of children.
Britain is the only European Union country to use Red 2G and it is also banned in Australia, Austria, Canada, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States.
Donncha O Caoimh on August 19, 2007
From what I hear, it’s better not to wonder what they put into sausages .. I still enjoyed the garlic flavoured sausage sandwich I had for tea today! Everything in moderation methinks.