Nancy
Well-known member
Much of the Meat you buy may have added solution
by Martin Sloane (www.martinsloane.com)
A shopper selects a pork roast from the meat case without recognizing there is something different about it. Before putting it in the oven, she rubs it with her usual salt and spices. After it is cooked, it tastes salty, and the shopper wonders why. What did she do wrong?
The problem was she didn't realize there was already salt in the solution that had been injected into the roast.
A recent study conducted by Cryovac, one of the largest producers of meat trays, found that 21 percent of fresh meat offered by retailers contained an enhancing solution.
Enhanced meat is meat that has been injected or marinated with a solution of water and other ingredients which could include salt, phosphates, antioxidants and flavorings. A label reading, "15 percent solution" indicates that 15 percent of the meat's total weight is solution, and in turn, 15 percent of the grocer's price.
Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson says:
roducts are enhanced primarily to improve tenderness and moisture, as well as enhanced flavor."
Mickelson says the percentage of solution in Tyson products varies widely, from 3 percent to 15 percent, depending on the product and desired flavor profile. The general range of solution in fresh chicken from supermarkets is about 8 percent to 12 percent.
During the injection process, a machine introduces the solution through many fine needles that evenly spread the fluid throughout the whole cut of meat. The liquid injected into a Publix supermarket ribeye steak includes-in order of prominence-water, sodium lactate, beef flavoring, salt, natural flavor, sodium phosphate and hydrolyzed corn protein.
Dr. Robert post, director of labeling for the U.S. Deptartment of Agriculture says: "Phosphates are for water holding to keep the meat juicy during cooking. Sodium and potassium lactate reduce microorganisms and contribute to food safety. Hydrolyzed protein is for flavoring."
Said to be safe
Post says all ingredients used in enhancing solutions are approved and listed as safe and suitable by a joint process of the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration.
A few meat processors give enhanced products special identities that make it easier for shoppers to recognize.
Foe example, Perdue's solution-enhanced chicken is sold under the "Tender &Tasty" banner. The birds are marinated with up to a 12 percent of enhancing solution. "Tender & Tasty" boneless chicken breasts have up to 15 percent of solution.
Chris Waley, a spokesman for the Perdue Co., says the solutions are used to protect the natural texture and tenderness of the meat during cooking. "It is very easy to overcook," she said. "Our enhanced Tender & Tasty chickens take some of the risk out of cooking."
I have some enhanced meats that have a lot more solution than you would think needed for flavoring or moisture. Both Jennie-O turket breast tenderloin and the Hormel Always Tender boneless pork roast contain up to 30 percent solution. The solution information always shows water as the first and most prominent ingredient. Consequently, if the price of the enhanced tenderloin or roast is $9, a buyer pays $2.70 mostly for water. My industry sources say adding solution to the meat reduces the manufacturer's cost and increases their profit.
It may be that you prefer using enhanced meat. But in any case, you should be able to recognize them. Processors are required by USDA regulations to show solution percentages on the label. The message is in small print and its ingredients are even harder to read.
Usually silent
Just because meat is displayed unpacked, does not mean it has not been enhanced. Ask the butcher whether it has been enhanced with a solution or ask to see the original box or packaging.
For shoppers on sodium restricted diets, checking the sodium information on the labels of enhanced meat is essential.
If pumping solution into meat is an improvement, supermarkets are unusually silent about it. With very few exceptions, supermarkets do not talk of enhancing solutions in their advertising. However, if the meat ad claims the product is moist and tender, look out.
The use of enhancing solutions is growing. If you prefer regular meat, vote with your wallet. It may just make enough difference to ensure you will continue to have an alternative to the enhanced meat products.
I think enhanced meat should have prominent labeling. What do you think? Write to me, Martin Sloane at email [email protected] I will publish the most interesting letters."
_________________________________________________________
This appeared in our local paper. It is a national column. I have written to Martin Sloane in the past about this very problem. My husband Joe, is on a strict low sodium diet, as are many of you. I thought we were safe buying meat from the local market. Little did I know that most of the meat was laden with sodium solution and not even labeled as such, and even the unpackaged meat in the special butcher shop was laden with sodium solution.
Joe's CHF was decompensating, and I could not understand why. I had removed every source of sodium that I knew about. I finally tracked the sodium source down to enhanced and unlabeled pork roast. Without any additions of my own, the meat tasted just like cured ham. I spoke with the butcher about it, and he admitted that all of the pork was injected with a sodium solution.
I did call the local Ag and Markets department and turned the market in for not labeling their meat. I also wrote a complaint letter to the market home office. After that they started to stock regular pork (at least as far as I know).
I have gone over every package of meat before I purchase it, and in no case have I found a list of ingredients like most foods have. There is absolutely no way for the consumer to calculate how much sodium a particular cut of meat has in it.
Last week, Joe's CHF decompensated again, and this time I suspect it was a beef roast that I used for meals a couple of days in a row. It had no labeling of enhancement or sodium content. I expected it to be "virgin" beef, but I bet it was not. He's still on extra Lasix from that fiasco.
I feel that anyone with CHF or other fluid problems or anyone who is on a sodium restricted diet should write to Martin Sloane and voice your concern. Also write to the USDA and the FDA to require the labeling of meats for content, so we can at least be forwarned and can avoide a potential health risk. It wouldn't be a bad idea to also write to the American Heart Association.
In just thinking about it, I can come up with many medical conditions which require the monitoring of sodium, maybe you can come up with more. It's more than just a small problem.
Kidney diseases
Congestive heart Failure and other heart related conditions
Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pregnancy with fluid retention restrictions
by Martin Sloane (www.martinsloane.com)
A shopper selects a pork roast from the meat case without recognizing there is something different about it. Before putting it in the oven, she rubs it with her usual salt and spices. After it is cooked, it tastes salty, and the shopper wonders why. What did she do wrong?
The problem was she didn't realize there was already salt in the solution that had been injected into the roast.
A recent study conducted by Cryovac, one of the largest producers of meat trays, found that 21 percent of fresh meat offered by retailers contained an enhancing solution.
Enhanced meat is meat that has been injected or marinated with a solution of water and other ingredients which could include salt, phosphates, antioxidants and flavorings. A label reading, "15 percent solution" indicates that 15 percent of the meat's total weight is solution, and in turn, 15 percent of the grocer's price.
Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson says:
roducts are enhanced primarily to improve tenderness and moisture, as well as enhanced flavor."Mickelson says the percentage of solution in Tyson products varies widely, from 3 percent to 15 percent, depending on the product and desired flavor profile. The general range of solution in fresh chicken from supermarkets is about 8 percent to 12 percent.
During the injection process, a machine introduces the solution through many fine needles that evenly spread the fluid throughout the whole cut of meat. The liquid injected into a Publix supermarket ribeye steak includes-in order of prominence-water, sodium lactate, beef flavoring, salt, natural flavor, sodium phosphate and hydrolyzed corn protein.
Dr. Robert post, director of labeling for the U.S. Deptartment of Agriculture says: "Phosphates are for water holding to keep the meat juicy during cooking. Sodium and potassium lactate reduce microorganisms and contribute to food safety. Hydrolyzed protein is for flavoring."
Said to be safe
Post says all ingredients used in enhancing solutions are approved and listed as safe and suitable by a joint process of the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration.
A few meat processors give enhanced products special identities that make it easier for shoppers to recognize.
Foe example, Perdue's solution-enhanced chicken is sold under the "Tender &Tasty" banner. The birds are marinated with up to a 12 percent of enhancing solution. "Tender & Tasty" boneless chicken breasts have up to 15 percent of solution.
Chris Waley, a spokesman for the Perdue Co., says the solutions are used to protect the natural texture and tenderness of the meat during cooking. "It is very easy to overcook," she said. "Our enhanced Tender & Tasty chickens take some of the risk out of cooking."
I have some enhanced meats that have a lot more solution than you would think needed for flavoring or moisture. Both Jennie-O turket breast tenderloin and the Hormel Always Tender boneless pork roast contain up to 30 percent solution. The solution information always shows water as the first and most prominent ingredient. Consequently, if the price of the enhanced tenderloin or roast is $9, a buyer pays $2.70 mostly for water. My industry sources say adding solution to the meat reduces the manufacturer's cost and increases their profit.
It may be that you prefer using enhanced meat. But in any case, you should be able to recognize them. Processors are required by USDA regulations to show solution percentages on the label. The message is in small print and its ingredients are even harder to read.
Usually silent
Just because meat is displayed unpacked, does not mean it has not been enhanced. Ask the butcher whether it has been enhanced with a solution or ask to see the original box or packaging.
For shoppers on sodium restricted diets, checking the sodium information on the labels of enhanced meat is essential.
If pumping solution into meat is an improvement, supermarkets are unusually silent about it. With very few exceptions, supermarkets do not talk of enhancing solutions in their advertising. However, if the meat ad claims the product is moist and tender, look out.
The use of enhancing solutions is growing. If you prefer regular meat, vote with your wallet. It may just make enough difference to ensure you will continue to have an alternative to the enhanced meat products.
I think enhanced meat should have prominent labeling. What do you think? Write to me, Martin Sloane at email [email protected] I will publish the most interesting letters."
_________________________________________________________
This appeared in our local paper. It is a national column. I have written to Martin Sloane in the past about this very problem. My husband Joe, is on a strict low sodium diet, as are many of you. I thought we were safe buying meat from the local market. Little did I know that most of the meat was laden with sodium solution and not even labeled as such, and even the unpackaged meat in the special butcher shop was laden with sodium solution.
Joe's CHF was decompensating, and I could not understand why. I had removed every source of sodium that I knew about. I finally tracked the sodium source down to enhanced and unlabeled pork roast. Without any additions of my own, the meat tasted just like cured ham. I spoke with the butcher about it, and he admitted that all of the pork was injected with a sodium solution.
I did call the local Ag and Markets department and turned the market in for not labeling their meat. I also wrote a complaint letter to the market home office. After that they started to stock regular pork (at least as far as I know).
I have gone over every package of meat before I purchase it, and in no case have I found a list of ingredients like most foods have. There is absolutely no way for the consumer to calculate how much sodium a particular cut of meat has in it.
Last week, Joe's CHF decompensated again, and this time I suspect it was a beef roast that I used for meals a couple of days in a row. It had no labeling of enhancement or sodium content. I expected it to be "virgin" beef, but I bet it was not. He's still on extra Lasix from that fiasco.
I feel that anyone with CHF or other fluid problems or anyone who is on a sodium restricted diet should write to Martin Sloane and voice your concern. Also write to the USDA and the FDA to require the labeling of meats for content, so we can at least be forwarned and can avoide a potential health risk. It wouldn't be a bad idea to also write to the American Heart Association.
In just thinking about it, I can come up with many medical conditions which require the monitoring of sodium, maybe you can come up with more. It's more than just a small problem.
Kidney diseases
Congestive heart Failure and other heart related conditions
Hypertension
Pulmonary Hypertension
Pregnancy with fluid retention restrictions
