Know your product: Boerewors VS Sausage

As South Africans, we love sizzling some sausage on the braai. However, plenty of people don’t know the difference between boerewors and sausage! There are laws when it comes to these local favourites and the product names tell you what they’re made of.

Boerewors Legislation

For a product to be labelled as boerewors, it must contain at least 90% total meat. This can be beef, pork, lamb and/or goat — as long as the animals used to make the product are declared on the label. Additionally, boerewors cannot contain more than 30% fat.

Boerewors MAY contain:

• Cereal products such as maize meal, rusk, etc

• Starches

• Vinegar, spices, herbs and/or salt

• Permitted additives

• Water (the % must be declared on the label)

• Colourants

• Soya/vegetable protein

• Mechanically removed meat (MRM/MDM)

• Offal, except the casing

Sausage Legislation

For a product to be labelled as sausage, it must contain at least 75% total meat. Like boerewors, animals used to make the product are declared on the label. Also like boerewors, sausage cannot contain more than 30% fat.                                                                                 

• Cereal products such as maize meal, rusk, etc

• Starches

• Vinegar, spices, herbs and/or salt

• Permitted additives

• Water (the % must be declared on the label)

Sausage MAY NOT contain:

• Colourants

• Soya/vegetable protein

• Mechanically removed meat (MRM/MDM)

• Offal, except the casing

  As you can see, the main difference between boerewors and sausage is the percentage of meat in the product. Boerewors is generally more expensive because it contains a higher percentage of meat. However, sausage can be just as delicious and it often offers better value for money.

  Looking for tips, tricks and recipes to help you master your meats at home? Visit Freddy’s Kitchen by clicking right here.

For more information refer to the following Regulation : GNR.2718/1990 which is available for download on the internet.