Russian firms caught using banned 'meat glue' in food products

According to media reports, Russian enterprises have massively added the banned additive transglutaminase, known as "meat glue," to products. In 2023 alone, 25 cases of using this enzyme were recorded. This year, there have already been 28 samples.

The Federal Service for Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-Being uncovered the companies' actions. This additive modifies the structure of proteins and increases the product's volume. It also allows the production cycle to be shortened ten times, saving on natural starters.

According to the "Moscow Times," this year, specialists discovered this additive in products of enterprises such as "Dubki," "Mitek," "Atyashevsky," "Altaiskaya Burenka," "Iceberg-Lux," "Ostankino Meat Processing Plant," and "Bryansk Meat Processing Plant."

The additive was commonly used to produce sausages, frankfurters, and curds. It was also found in processed poultry products and baby food.

Transglutaminase has been banned in Russia since 2020, but its trade is not prohibited. Oleg Pavlov, head of the "Public Consumer Initiative," told Izvestia that he had appealed to the Prosecutor General's Office to block websites offering the purchase of transglutaminase and to confiscate this product from stores. He added that regulatory bodies cannot effectively monitor the use of this additive.

I am convinced that microbial transglutaminase should be withdrawn from free sale if it is not allowed in the production of goods and can cause cancer – said Sergey Leonov, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Health Protection Committee.

Transglutaminase is particularly dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, food allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, gluten sensitivity, or coeliac disease. Moreover, high consumption of processed meat increases the risk of colon cancer and cardiovascular diseases.