What real boerewors is

Nobody is allowed to stuff a casing with any old scraps.

NATIONAL BRAAI DAY: DO YOU KNOW YOUR BOERIE FROM YOUR BRAAIWORS - OR WORS?.

If you plan to join National Braai Day tomorrow and braai some wors on the fire, it is important to know your boerewors from your braaiwors and ensure you get what you pay for.

The composition of raw wors is regulated in South Africa and nobody is allowed to simply stuff a casing with any old scraps and sell it as boerewors.

According to the regulations regarding the classification, packing and marking of certain raw processed meat products intended for sale in South Africa published in the Government Gazette in 2022 in terms of the Agricultural Product Standards Act, boerewors must adhere to a specific set of standards.

The regulations distinguish between raw minced meat, burgers, bangers, grillers and sizzlers and the compositional standards for each product regarding the fat content, additives, species and ingredients permitted for use in specific raw processed meat products.

The regulations also cover the classification, packing and marking of raw processed meat.

This is what real boerewors is

The regulations define raw boerewors as "any sausage sold under a name where the word 'boerewors' appears, alone or in combination with any other word or expression and which complies with the compositional standards as set out in regulation 5(7)".

According to the regulations, raw boerewors must be made from the meat of domesticated cattle, sheep, pigs or goats or a mixture of these in an edible casing. The boerewors must have a minimum total meat content of 90% and a fat content (as analysed) of no more than 30%.