Some raw beef products contain added solutions for flavor, moisture or tenderness. USDA requires that solution to be disclosed on the package, and its weight is included in the weight you're paying for.
You're standing at the meat counter looking at two packages of beef.
They look pretty similar.
Same cut. Similar weight. Similar price.
But take a closer look at the label on some packages and you may find wording like:
"Contains up to 10% of a solution..."
Or:
"Beef Steak with 6% Marinade."
That little statement tells you something important.
Not everything contributing to the weight of that package is beef.
Some of it is an added solution.
And according to USDA, that solution is included in the net weight printed on the package.
Let's take a look.
YES, SOLUTIONS CAN BE ADDED TO BEEF
USDA recognizes a category of raw meat products containing what it calls "added solutions."
Those solutions can be incorporated into meat through several methods, including:
Needle injecting.
Marinating.
Tumbling.
Soaking.
The solutions may contain water, salt, spices, flavorings or other approved ingredients and can be used to add flavor, seasoning or tenderness.
This isn't some loophole we uncovered.
It's a regulated practice.
In fact, USDA has specific rules governing how these products must be labeled.
THE LABEL HAS TO TELL YOU
This is important.
We don't want to make it sound like companies are legally allowed to pump water into beef and simply call it beef.
They're not.
USDA requires raw meat containing an added solution to identify that solution as part of the product name on the front of the package.
The percentage of added solution must also be disclosed.
So you might see something along the lines of:
"Beef Tenderloin Containing up to 10% of a Solution of..."
The ingredients in that solution must also be identified according to USDA labeling requirements.
The information is there.
The question is:
How many shoppers actually notice it?
AND YOU'RE PAYING FOR THE SOLUTION
Here's the part we find especially interesting.
USDA states that when a solution is intentionally incorporated into meat, the solution becomes part of the product and is included in the declared net weight.
Think about that for a second.
If you're buying a beef product labeled as containing 10% added solution, you're not purchasing a package whose entire net weight came from the original piece of beef.
Part of the product you're purchasing is the added solution.
That doesn't mean anyone is cheating you.
It's disclosed on the label.
But it does mean reading that label can tell you considerably more than simply looking at the price per pound.
WHY WOULD ANYONE ADD WATER TO BEEF?
There are legitimate reasons.
USDA explains that flavoring solutions may be added to leaner meats to improve things like flavor and moisture.
Solutions can also season or tenderize meat, and some products are essentially sold pre-marinated for convenience.
For some consumers, that's exactly what they want.
A steak that's already seasoned.
A roast designed to retain moisture.
A product that's ready to take home and cook.
There's nothing inherently wrong with choosing that.
But we'd want to know what we're buying.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE QUESTIONING
When you pick up a steak, what do you expect to be paying for?
Beef?
Beef plus water?
Beef plus salt and flavorings?
A marinade?
And if two packages have the same price per pound, but one contains an added solution and the other doesn't, are you really comparing the same thing?
That's what makes the fine print worth reading.
The front of a meat package can contain plenty of words designed to catch your attention.
Angus.
Natural.
Premium.
Tender.
But sometimes one of the most interesting pieces of information on that package is much less exciting:
"Contains X% of a solution..."
THERE'S ANOTHER INTERESTING WRINKLE: "NATURAL"
You might assume beef containing an added solution couldn't possibly carry a "natural" claim.
Not necessarily.
USDA says certain products labeled natural may contain a flavoring solution, provided the ingredients in that solution meet the requirements for the claim, such as being minimally processed and not considered artificial.
USDA also says the amount of solution added to products bearing a natural claim is not inherently limited simply because the product carries that claim.
That's another reason we think reading beyond the big words on the package matters.
OUR BEEF CONTAINS BEEF
This part of our story is considerably less complicated.
When you buy one of our steaks, roasts or packages of ground beef, we aren't adding a solution to increase moisture, flavor or tenderness.
No added water.
No salt solution.
No injected marinade.
Our beef is aged for 14 days, hand-cut, vacuum sealed, labeled and flash frozen.
We don't need a long ingredient explanation.
It's beef.
And we like being able to say that.
THE BEEF REPORT BOTTOM LINE
Adding solutions to raw beef is a legitimate and regulated practice.
USDA requires those solutions to be disclosed as part of the product name, including the percentage added.
There are perfectly practical reasons for doing it.
Flavor.
Moisture.
Tenderness.
Convenience.
But USDA also makes something else very clear:
That added solution is included in the net weight you're buying.
So next time you're standing in front of the meat case, don't just look at the cut and the price.
Look a little closer.
You might be buying beef.
Or you might be buying beef plus something else.
We prefer to keep ours simple.
Our beef contains nothing but beef.