Distressing article: Needle Tenderization

[weedy]

from a recent article:

 

According to the US Food Safety and Inspection Service, about 10.5 percent of steaks are subjected to a process called mechanical or needle tenderization, where metal blades or pins repeatedly puncture the meat before packaging. While this technique improves the meat's texture, it also moves bacteria from the surface into the center of the cut, where the germs may survive cooking. The scary part: Processors are not required to label cuts that have been mechanically tenderized—so there's no way to know whether your steak might have extra interior bacteria. Mechanically tenderized beef has caused several recent outbreaks, including one in Canada in 2012, which sickened 18 people and led to the biggest beef recall in Canadian history. In 2013, the US Department of Agriculture promised to require labeling on mechanically tenderized beef, but the agency is stalling on finalizing that rule.

 

Especially for those of us who cook sous vide (but really for everyone who cooks meat), we base our practises on the assumption that the 'inside' of our cuts is essentially sterile.

if that's not a reasonable assumption, what then?

 

I found this rather distessing.

 

once again LABELING is the right answer in consumer matters; not 'protecting' an industry.

 

 

[Shel_B]

While I know that meat can be tenderized with mechanical techniques, I did not realize that the producers were doing that for us.  Very thoughtful of them - NOT!

 

I agree that labeling is needed.  Good luck getting that done.

[btbyrd]

Is this really that big of a deal? Just ask your butcher. My local high end grocers don't sell mechanically tenderized meat, and my local chain grocer already labels anything that's been needled.

 

Especially for those of us who cook sous vide (but really for everyone who cooks meat), we base our practises on the assumption that the 'inside' of our cuts is essentially sterile.

if that's not a reasonable assumption, what then?

 

Pasteurize to core. I often Jaccard meat myself when cooking sous vide and I take the extra time to pasteurize it.

[dcarch]

"---From 2003 to 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention received reports of five foodborne illnesses attributable to needle- or blade-tenderized beef products prepared in restaurants and consumers’ homes. ---"

 

Also, you may find little broken blades in your meat.

 

dcarch

[CatPoet]

I'm lucky , it has to be labelled  here.   Clear labels, Swedes are nuts about it,  you can in some cases even found out the name of the cow you are eating...

[Anna N]

I'm lucky , it has to be labelled  here.   Clear labels, Swedes are nuts about it,  you can in some cases even found out the name of the cow you are eating...

You might also discover that Bessie started out life as Porky

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19975127

Not even the Swedish government can control everything! A little skepticism never hurt anyone when it comes to one's government.

[Anna N]

From what I can understand Costco in Canada has been tenderizing its meat for some considerable time and only recently has been required to label it as such. We do not seem to have lost a lot of citizens to this practice. Nevertheless it takes away the choice. Label or no label I would prefer needle or no needle. Just as I would prefer to season my own pork so I would prefer to tenderize my own beef. Yes, all things being equal I could find a butcher but things are not equal and doing so would not be an easy task in my situation.

[weedy]

I'm lucky , it has to be labelled  here.   Clear labels, Swedes are nuts about it,  you can in some cases even found out the name of the cow you are eating...

 

as it SHOULD be