Food to salty

[Habanero Smoker]

If they pump the meat with anything they have to list the ingredients, and what percentage of weight is brine. Even if it is just water, they have to label the percentage by weight. I have seen some "organic" chickens that have been pumped with only water; usually 2%, and that is listed on the label. I can't see any reason to pump something with water, other than to increase profits.

So now I read the labels. So far in my area I have not found any meat injected in the fresh meat counter at Sam's but have found it in Hannaford and at times Shop Rite. But I also learned that Sam's have various distribution center, and depending where your Sam's club is, they carry different products. At the Sam's in my area you cannot get any type of brisket, but in their Super Wal-Mart you can find poor quality whole briskets.

[hal4uk]

Habs, when I tried their ribeyes, I read the package and didn't see anything about added solutions, but I know good and well it was tampered with (or they've cross-bred cows with sewer rats).  The taste AND the texture were awful.  I thought it was just plain sickening - and no it wasn't spoiled.  They sometimes slap stickers over stickers so you can't really read everything, so maybe the "warning" was there, but I couldn't find it.  If you're getting good beef at your area WM/Sams, you're one of the lucky ones.  I can't say what they do everywhere, but I promise you don't want it in Springfield, Illinois.  But, it IS amazingly cheap, if there is such a thing as a good deal on garbage (or "a flavor profile with color stabilization").

Here's their beef guy in an interview (he seems to think customers want crap-injected beef - yeah, right):
http://beefmagazine.com/mag/beef_walmart/

BEEF: A great deal of your fresh beef products are "enhanced" with a water-based solution. What drives the decision to merchandise beef this way?

Peterson: I think the whole idea of solutions, or "pumped" product, is going to revolutionize the meat industry over time. The solution process will ultimately be one of providing a flavor profile. This is no different in meat than in other foods. "Cooking" at home is becoming a lost art — much by choice — therefore the consumer is expecting to buy a piece of meat that has a particular flavor profile, stick it in the oven for 15-20 minutes and yet have something they remember eating when they were growing up.

Food additives, whether in solutions or otherwise, are becoming part of our food experience. The fresh beef area is one of the last great food bastions that have been generally untampered.

Preservative issues are more a factor of the packaging, as opposed to the solution itself. Clearly there are color stabilization benefits with the herb-based solutions we use.

[Habanero Smoker]

Thanks for the link, I'm going to have to read it later. I've never seen or heard of enhanced beef until now. I only seen it marinaded by the store and then sold. Our Sam's does stock good beef, but I prefer to get my beef from Price Chopper. The Super Wal-Mart doesn't carry the same quality of meat that the Sam's Club, which is located one shopping plaza up; I feel that WM meat quality is lower, but it's probably my perception.

[hal4uk]

The whole interview is interesting, but that section I pasted is the relevant part.
I bet it wasn't a "sit-down" interview - I think Beef Magazine submitted the questions and this guy emailed the answers back.

It appears to be very carefully and professionally crafted.  Heck, they almost make it sound like a good thing that they have injected their beef with crap and packaged it with God-Knows-What kinda gasses.  For example: "Food additives, whether in solutions or otherwise,..." - huh?  otherwise?

And what's an "herb-based" solution?  Is that when you sprinkle oregano in ammonia or what?
Apparently, whatever they are doing, is not something they want to fully explain.
 

[Pachanga]

I think Ron and/or Habs nailed it.

Pachanga

[Habanero Smoker]

I guess I'm going to have to start checking the labels on beef now, and when it is repackaged at the retailer, hope that it is properly labeled.

It is getting to the point that I spend more reading time in the store, then on this forum. :)