Quid meat percentage calculation from analysis values

Calculation bases (an Excel table for calculating the meat proportions based on the above definitions and equations)

Assessment criteria for meat products

Assessment criteria for meat products of major market importance for the entire federal territory

The assessment criteria of the working group on meat products, in addition to the guidelines for meat and meat products of the German Food Code, describe the general understanding of meat products in the trade. Guideline 1.3.1, "Value-Determining Components," states that if there is a sufficient content of connective tissue protein-free meat protein, neither the fat/meat protein nor the water/meat protein ratio should exceed the "conventional level." Assessment practice has shown that, based on the fundamental parameters of crude protein, fat, and water, and the ratios of fat/meat protein and water/meat protein, it was useful to propose further comparative values, as an expression of prevailing trade understanding, to supplement the guidelines. To calculate the proportion of added water (beyond the natural amount) - if it must be specified to supplement the name of the food or as an ingredient in the list of ingredients - and to calculate the meat content from chemical analysis results, the average natural water/meat protein ratios of the respective types of meat used are usually taken as a basis.

Assessment criteria as a PDF (as of 2025)