Supermarket meat. The facts.
01 March 2004, 08:11 PM
#1
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Supermarket meat. The facts.
Been rumoured that supermarkets add substances to their meat to keep it looking fresher for longer.
Was told by Sainsburys today that they add to their fresh meat:
Water
Water is added to improve tenderness and succulence. The water is lost during
cooking so that the natural moisture in the pork is retained.
Salt
Salt is added in very low levels to improve moisture retention and flavor.
Phosphates
Phosphates are added to hold moisture in the meat, and they also have a natural tenderising affect
Makes you wonder what else they put in their food doesnt it. Can only be thankful I dont buy their bright red saline, phosphated meat.
Chip.
Was told by Sainsburys today that they add to their fresh meat:
Water
Water is added to improve tenderness and succulence. The water is lost during
cooking so that the natural moisture in the pork is retained.
Salt
Salt is added in very low levels to improve moisture retention and flavor.
Phosphates
Phosphates are added to hold moisture in the meat, and they also have a natural tenderising affect
Makes you wonder what else they put in their food doesnt it. Can only be thankful I dont buy their bright red saline, phosphated meat.
Chip.
Last edited by Chip; 01 March 2004 at 08:11 PM.
01 March 2004, 08:24 PM
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Guy i work with was a trainee butcher a long time ago for a supermarket and he said that they used to put blood in to mince to give it that nice red raw look !!!
simon
simon
01 March 2004, 08:29 PM
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Is it not law in the UK, that the ingredients must be displayed on a label of the product?
I hardly think any of the big supermarkets are going to start ignoring the law, they have too much to loose.
I hardly think any of the big supermarkets are going to start ignoring the law, they have too much to loose.
01 March 2004, 08:31 PM
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Dont think so. After all, when you buy a fresh loaf it doesnt have a list of ingredients on it. May be different for packaged goods though.
Chip.
Chip.
01 March 2004, 08:36 PM
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Do phosphates cause a problem to the body then?
TBH i don't care what's added to food as long as it looks good, tastes good, and doesn't cause health problems (that un-treated fod wouldn't
)
Andy
TBH i don't care what's added to food as long as it looks good, tastes good, and doesn't cause health problems (that un-treated fod wouldn't
)Andy
01 March 2004, 08:40 PM
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I used to work for Sainsburys as a student. The worst thing I came across while I was working on the frozen dept. was being told to put away a palette of frozen meat that had been left standing outside the freezer for 8 hours defrosting since being delivered 
I told the manager no way was I putting it in the freezers and he told me to do it. I didn't do it on principle so they waited till I left and got some other bloke to do it
Health and safety is a joke in these places. Our visits were announced days in advance so everything could be cleaned and re-organised to make sure nothing went wrong. As soon as the visit finished everything went back to normal with food left out for long periods etc.
As for employment law don't even get me started on that one, these places think they are a law unto themselves However they soon found out I was doing employment law and personnel at uni as part of my degree and they were my best subjects - nothing like having a practical lesson everytime you go to work I wasn't exactly their favourite employee telling they couldn't get away with things they tried on 
To say I hate this company as an employer and its working practices is an understatement.
I told the manager no way was I putting it in the freezers and he told me to do it. I didn't do it on principle so they waited till I left and got some other bloke to do it Health and safety is a joke in these places. Our visits were announced days in advance so everything could be cleaned and re-organised to make sure nothing went wrong. As soon as the visit finished everything went back to normal with food left out for long periods etc.
As for employment law don't even get me started on that one, these places think they are a law unto themselves
However they soon found out I was doing employment law and personnel at uni as part of my degree and they were my best subjects - nothing like having a practical lesson everytime you go to work I wasn't exactly their favourite employee telling they couldn't get away with things they tried on To say I hate this company as an employer and its working practices is an understatement.
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01 March 2004, 11:22 PM
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Tesco are the most stringent when it comes to their food, IMHO. I know people who deliver for them and the amount of food that gets turned away for the slightest blemish or because the crate was open is ridiculous.
02 March 2004, 01:48 AM
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Mr.Scoobypreza went to a cheese factory to train the lads on the forklift truck.
They told him how they get all the mouldy cheese back from supermarkets and they re-process it. They scrape off the mould and re-process to get rid of live bacteria.
If you have cheese that goes hard in the fridge and not mouldy its because its been re-processed. So its second hand cheese
I'd noticed that some cheese goes mouldy and some went hard but had never thought about it. It freaked me out big time when he told me why it happens!!!!!! uuugghhhh!!
I think if we knew half of what happened to our food before we got it we'd never eat.
I'm a bugger for not washing salad stuff or fruit. I know I should but I'm lazy!
cath
They told him how they get all the mouldy cheese back from supermarkets and they re-process it. They scrape off the mould and re-process to get rid of live bacteria.
If you have cheese that goes hard in the fridge and not mouldy its because its been re-processed. So its second hand cheese
I'd noticed that some cheese goes mouldy and some went hard but had never thought about it. It freaked me out big time when he told me why it happens!!!!!! uuugghhhh!!
I think if we knew half of what happened to our food before we got it we'd never eat.
I'm a bugger for not washing salad stuff or fruit. I know I should but I'm lazy!
cath
02 March 2004, 07:04 AM
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Yeah, let's go back to the days when we have to kill our own meat, I'm sure that'd be more palatable for us. Group buy on bolt guns?
And live bacteria is heavily involved in the manufacture of cheese. Doesn't stop you eating it though, does it?
Anybody here actually ill from eating supermarket meat or cheese? No, didn't think so.
And live bacteria is heavily involved in the manufacture of cheese. Doesn't stop you eating it though, does it?
Anybody here actually ill from eating supermarket meat or cheese? No, didn't think so.
02 March 2004, 07:06 AM
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Cath you need to work in a supermarket/food retail to fully understand what goes on I was sickened by some of the stuff I saw just through some employees finding it amusing to have a lack of hygiene. The worst were dairy products being left to go off etc, frozens being left to defrost and then there was the meat dept boys who had very warped senses of humour. Like when one left he was locked in a roll palette cage and then had blood and all the juices and left overs from the meat cutting area poured all over him. It stank and was feking revolting.
You soon learn why certain things have a certain texture to them, for example why ice cream is crystally - its where its been melted and refrozen.
I was sickened by some of the stuff I saw just through some employees finding it amusing to have a lack of hygiene. The worst were dairy products being left to go off etc, frozens being left to defrost and then there was the meat dept boys who had very warped senses of humour. Like when one left he was locked in a roll palette cage and then had blood and all the juices and left overs from the meat cutting area poured all over him. It stank and was feking revolting.You soon learn why certain things have a certain texture to them, for example why ice cream is crystally - its where its been melted and refrozen.
02 March 2004, 07:16 AM
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I have been round a meat processing plant... it was quite an eye opener! The meat actually leaves the plant ready packaged in the livery of the supermarket it is destined for, and even has the price attached!
They also inject the packages with nitrogen to displace O2 from the meat so that the the blood doesn't oxidise and stays fresh pinky looking without darkening!
They also inject the packages with nitrogen to displace O2 from the meat so that the the blood doesn't oxidise and stays fresh pinky looking without darkening!
02 March 2004, 07:37 AM
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All true, when I was a nipper working in a supermarket, the fresh dairy delivery would arrive at 6am and get unloaded off the chiller lorry, then stay out of the shopfloor fridge until about 10am ish depending on how quick the staff worked! Of course it should have been put away in the warheouse fridge but it was too much hassle taking it upstairs so it just got left out!
Out of date mince would be taken off the shelf, then chucked back in the mincer with a dash of blood and a handle of offcuts (which should've been thrown away) and hey presto - luverly bright red, fresh mince!
Mind you it still hasn't put me off my meat!
Out of date mince would be taken off the shelf, then chucked back in the mincer with a dash of blood and a handle of offcuts (which should've been thrown away) and hey presto - luverly bright red, fresh mince!
Mind you it still hasn't put me off my meat!
02 March 2004, 08:42 AM
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wow...cheese that goes hard....do you know what i heard? some of the bacon used by tescos comes from pigs..yeah, real pigs- and they are filthy so that must be bad.
and as for adding blood..thats gross, its not like the meats been near blood before then
and as for adding blood..thats gross, its not like the meats been near blood before then
02 March 2004, 09:40 AM
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Originally Posted by Tiggs
and as for adding blood..thats gross, its not like the meats been near blood before then
If i've had a really heavy night the black pudding in my Sunday fry up can sometimes cause me to pause for thought if I think about whats in it
Saying that, I usually eat it anyway
02 March 2004, 09:43 AM
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Tesco's bacon - how nice is all that white crap that comes out of it eh - ends up the size of a postage stamp.
I got some fresh bacon from a quality butchers shop up north and it was wonderful - fecking cheaper that Tesco's also.
Go to any supermarket meat counter - watch as the pleb behind the counter puts their hands amongst the meat - you should notice their hands turn a nice shade of red due to trick lighting they use
- ends up the size of a postage stamp.I got some fresh bacon from a quality butchers shop up north and it was wonderful - fecking cheaper that Tesco's also.
Go to any supermarket meat counter - watch as the pleb behind the counter puts their hands amongst the meat - you should notice their hands turn a nice shade of red due to trick lighting they use
02 March 2004, 11:47 AM
#19
What a bunch of whimps you lot are - Come over to Baku and you'll see beasts being slaughtered in the street .Guts and blood everywhere .The carcass is then crudely butchered and hung up in the open air -no refrigeration .Plenty of flies though.The worst part of this is to see the fear in animals as there is no attempt to shield the creatures from witnessing the throat cutting of th
02 March 2004, 11:52 AM
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We support local butchers most of the time, tho it is more expensive, but the meat is nicer and we know where it's come from. We get lamb from our own sheep tho (we have a few in our field and get some slaughtered for meat)
02 March 2004, 01:52 PM
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http://www.realmeatco.sageweb.co.uk/
Here's a fiver off for you to buy decent, organic, no hormones, no growth promoters, no unecessary antibiotics, free range, meat that has watched telly and had a cuddle!
Once you buy their bacon you will NEVER touch that compassion free supermarket cr@p. It doesn’t shrivel up and you can eat it knowing it is natural and the animal was treated decently.
Their chicken is bloody expensive (£13 each) so I tend to buy supermarket free range (£6), but you can buy such TOP steaks there and not worry about eating them!
I'm lucky to have one near me but they do deliveries.
D
Here's a fiver off for you to buy decent, organic, no hormones, no growth promoters, no unecessary antibiotics, free range, meat that has watched telly and had a cuddle!
Once you buy their bacon you will NEVER touch that compassion free supermarket cr@p. It doesn’t shrivel up and you can eat it knowing it is natural and the animal was treated decently.
Their chicken is bloody expensive (£13 each) so I tend to buy supermarket free range (£6), but you can buy such TOP steaks there and not worry about eating them!
I'm lucky to have one near me but they do deliveries.
D
02 March 2004, 02:05 PM
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Originally Posted by RobJenks
What a bunch of whimps you lot are - Come over to Baku and you'll see beasts being slaughtered in the street .Guts and blood everywhere .The carcass is then crudely butchered and hung up in the open air -no refrigeration .Plenty of flies though.The worst part of this is to see the fear in animals as there is no attempt to shield the creatures from witnessing the throat cutting of th
02 March 2004, 02:45 PM
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Let's go back to the days where we support our local butcher / farmers' market.
What makes you think that the people supplying your local butcher are any better? (Unless it's somebody like the people Diesel has linked to).
02 March 2004, 02:48 PM
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Our local butcher is free range/organic meat and you can really taste the difference between that and supermarket meat. It's actually cheaper than the supermarkets too
02 March 2004, 02:58 PM
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Further to all the remarks about butchers - I used to work as a Saturday Boy in a quality butchers (regarded as the best one in town) and used to see/do far worse things than I ever saw happen in the Tescos I subsequently worked in.
I once dropped a huge (and expensive) steak in the sawdust/blood floor of one of the fridges. It was simply brushed off and place on display.
I once dropped a huge (and expensive) steak in the sawdust/blood floor of one of the fridges. It was simply brushed off and place on display.
Last edited by Jerome; 02 March 2004 at 03:00 PM.
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