How Many Steak Does It Take to Make a Full Pack of Ground Beef

Fresh Ground Beef

Davey Griffin, Professor and Extension Meat Specialist
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

When consumers get to the grocery store, they are confronted with a variety of items from which to select. One of the near commonly purchased items from the beef section is footing beef. Because of its functionality in a multitude of different entree items, basis beef is the largest single beefiness particular sold (by book) in most nutrient stores. Although most consumers enjoy having a multifariousness of items to cull from, ground beef options are sometimes disruptive. Similar appearing products may be labeled every bit footing beef, hamburger, ground round, sirloin, chuck and may include claims such as natural, organic, lean, extra lean or others. Nearly footing beef today also identifies the lean-to-fat ratio past stating the percent lean and percentage fat constitute in the bundle. The challenge for consumers is knowing which production is the correct one for the buyer'southward intended use.

The definition of ground beef is chopped fresh and/or frozen beef from primal cuts and trimmings. Trimmings are defined as the modest pieces containing both lean and fat that come up from a beefiness carcass as the carcass is cut or "fabricated" into beefiness primals, subprimals or individual cuts.  The maximum fat content in whatsoever ground beef is 30% (70% lean) by law. No water, phosphates, binders, or other meat sources may be added and still be labeled as footing beef. If a ground beefiness characterization has an added label identifier such as footing round, sirloin or chuck, the lean and fat used in the product can come from only the primal included in the name. And so footing round can only contain lean and fat from the round, sirloin from the sirloin, etc. There is no added percent lean/fat requirement for a ground beef production from a specific primal, so although virtually products seen in stores would brandish ground chuck as either lxxx or 85% lean and ground round or sirloin to be even leaner, the legal requirement is that those products are at a minimum 70% lean. It is upwardly to the consumer to read the characterization to exist certain they are purchasing the product that best fits their expectations and expected usage. If a package is labeled simply equally hamburger, it has to see all of the already mentioned requirements with the exception that it may contain 100% fat trimmings (no lean) from other than the key sources.

Co-ordinate to "askusda.gov", the term "lean" may be used to depict an individual food every bit packaged when it contains less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fatty, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per reference amount and per 100 grams. For a primary dish or repast to qualify as "lean," it must meet these specified levels for fatty, saturated fatty, and cholesterol per 100 grams and per labeled serving.  The term "extra lean" may exist used to draw products that contain less than v grams of full fatty, less than 2 grams of saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per reference amount and per 100 grams. For main dish or repast products, these levels apply per 100 grams and per labeled serving size.

The revision in the regulation was proposed to eliminate confusion by consumers. If a "%lean/%fat" descriptor was not used, it was concluded that most ground beef would revert to being sold as ground round, sirloin, or chuck, or under an "in-store" name. Although on the surface this doesn't seem to pose a pregnant problem, the composition of these products without a descriptor of some type may vary greatly. Many shoppers would rank ground round existence the leanest grind a shop would stock, followed past ground sirloin and so ground chuck. However, every bit long as ground round has at a minimum of 70% lean and maximum 30% fat and comes from the circular, so it is correctly labeled. It could also have 90% lean and 10% fat and still be labeled as ground round. This conspicuously was not the intention of the 1993 nutritional labeling regulations or the type of information that most consumers request. In consumer studies conducted in 1994, shoppers were non able to accurately identify the lean content of footing beef identified only by names such equally basis round. Nevertheless, when the "%lean" and/or "%lean/%fat" identifiers were used, a majority of shoppers could accurately identify the lean content of ground beefiness and indicated that a label using a descriptor was preferred when they made ground beef purchase decisions.

Some of the recommendations listed will assistance in matching the appropriate basis beef production with the intended use by the shopper:

1. Use the "%lean" or "%lean/%fat" indicator on the label to get the desired lean content regardless of whatsoever claim as to where on the beef carcass the ground beef was sourced.
2.  "Look for the crimson." If shopping for beefiness ground in a local store, a parcel of basis beef will be redder in color the college the lean content, so if no other indicator is available, the redder the colour, the leaner the basis beef.
3. If audio beefiness is packaged in "chubs", recognize that those were packaged under USDA/FSIS inspection and although the lean color cannot exist observed, there is assurance that the Pct lean/fat on the package is documented at the plant nether inspection.

Today, consumers may accept a myriad of choices of ground beefiness packages presented for their purchase at local retail stores.  Historically, ground beef was derived as a by-production of fabricating a beef carcass into beefiness cuts.  The resulting "trimmings" were ground and sold in a foam tray with a PVC overwrap that allowed oxygen to penetrate and help maintain a bright carmine colour for two-iii days.  Equally less beef carcasses were shipped to stores, in that location were less trimmings generated at the store level, and then supplemental fibroid ground beefiness was shipped to the stores in bulk packaging to be ground and traditionally packaged and displayed for sale.  Additionally, packers and further processors began grinding and packaging "chub-packaged" footing beef to stores.  Chub-packaged basis beefiness is ground and packaged in USDA plants nether FSIS inspection and arrives at the store in its' packaging set to be displayed for sale.  Because of less exposure to oxygen and besides less handling, chub-packaged ground beef typically has a longer shelf-life than shop processed ground beef and has a "Use-By" appointment on the bundle to indicate the manufacturer's recommendation for employ to maintain quality expectations.  Consumers may also find case fix ground beef that volition typically exist packaged in a more rigid package with a flat clear film on the top side.  Case gear up ground beefiness was packaged at a packing or further processing facility, then the atmosphere inside the packet was modified by replacing the air with a combination of oxygen and potentially carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen (inert), then sealed.  The gas mixture incise the package allows the meat to stay bright cherry-red longer and combats the growth of microorganisms on the meat that could cause spoilage or be a nutrient safe risk.  Additionally, ground beef "bricks" are being displayed for sale.  Ground beef bricks are some other method of producing ground beef at the packer or farther processor level.  A measured corporeality of ground beef is placed in a formed square of packaging film, a vacuum is practical and it is sealed.  The picture show has a high oxygen barrier, so the meat is reddish-purple in color and over again has a longer shelf life than oxygenated red meat that has traditionally been displayed in the retail case.

A number of consumers brand decisions concerning footing beef purchases solely on leanness. Others base of operations their decisions based on leanness and price, counterbalanced by the ultimate intended use. Regardless of your determination criteria, basis beef is an economic source of available nutrients. The total calories, poly peptide, and fat, along with bachelor iron and zinc levels is shown below for a three oz. broiled serving cooked well washed.

	73% Lean	80% Lean	85% Lean
Calories	248.00	235.00	213.00
Poly peptide (g)	22.84	24.38	24.85
Total Fat (m)	16.83	14.52	11.81
Iron (mg)	2.27	2.eighteen	ii.37
Zinc (mg)	iv.99	v.35	5.51

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Source: https://meat.tamu.edu/ground-beef-labeling/

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