Does anyone here agree that Canadians are being cheated in buying meat?

[glarius]

This is something I believe that began fairly recently.
I believe they are loading out meat with WATER to make it weigh more!
Here's what I'm talking about....For some time now, I have noticed that I buy a big, fat package of ground beef to make hamburgers and when I make large patties, cook them in a non-stick frying pan, I am left with cooked patties about 1/2 the size they were when I put them in the pan, and a whole lot of water. I never use oil or anything else in the pan...just the patties alone. The same is true of steak. I always end up with smaller pieces of meat and a lot of water.
This was not true in the past and I just wonder if any of my fellow Canadians have noticed the same thing?

[NightWatcher]

1. Doesn't the package have fat content percentage listed?

I once bought 80/20 (80%meat to 20%fat) and there was nothing left after a few minutes in the frying pan.

I try to get 95/5 or better.

[glarius]

2. I'm not talking about fat...they are loading the meat with WATER

to make it weigh more and you think you are getting more than you really are. I am left with a lot of water in the pan, not fat.

[NightWatcher]

4. Damn, that's cold. Try to find a butcher and buy fresh cuts

I try very hard to not buy precut/packaged meats.

[NNN0LHI]

3. You been buying your meat from someone selling it out of the back of an S-10 pickup?

If you have chances are that was horse meat.

Don

[glarius]

5. I'm talking about good stores and the meat is good....there's just less of it

than you are paying for.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. I buy from the butcher, who does no such thing of course

But in the US, added liquid has to be on the label, is that the case in Canada?

[arthritisR_US]

7. given the water content inherent in muscle tissue there should water in

the pan. We are made up of 1/3 to half water so animals are quite similar...there should residual water.

[Cool Logic]

8. Beware of "enhanced" meat and poultry products...

Many grocery stores are now offering meat and poultry products that have flavoring solutions added to them. For example, pork chops may be packaged with a solution of water, salt, and sodium phosphate.

Leaner beef also contains more water and today's animals are bred to be leaner. The fat in meat contributes to flavor, so a leaner cut might not taste as good as a fattier cut. Thus, leaner cuts may also be enhanced with a flavor solution.

[MedicalAdmin]

9. That is a good question for your MLA or local politico...

I grew up in Alberta eating organic beef that was mmm mmm good.

I was up there again this summer (in BC) and bought commercial meat and didn't notice what you are talking about. Someone above mentioned flavor enhanced meat.

I can tell you that adding stuff to meat in a long standing tradition in meat packing circles (see Sinclair Lewis - "the jungle".)

[notadmblnd]

10. Ground beef is labled here. 85/15 or 80/20

but yes, I do believe it is a new thing. Steaks, I haven't noticed or don't have one often enough to notice if they are shrinking.