!8: Saved Digital Bradley Smoker: November 2011

!±8± Tenderized Meat - What are You Really Paying For?

Americans want tender meat. Minnesota-based Hormel Foods responded to this want and produced its "Always Tender" line of products. Consumers have responded so favorably to these products that Hormel is adding more. How is meat tenderized?

The two main tenderizers are Bromelain and Papain, according to the Enzyme Development Corporation. Bromelain comes from pineapple stumps and roots. Papain comes from papaya trees. "The major application of tenderizer in today's market is beef," the corporation says. "A newer area is seafood. The products being treated are squid (calamari), clams, and other very tough and chewy seafood."

Food labels tell whether the product has been tenderized. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) established label regulations and they are detailed on its Web site. The word "fresh" may not be used to describe "any injected, basted, marinated poultry, poultry part or any edible portion thereof whose whose internal temperature has ever been below 25 degrees Fahrenheit."

During the freezing process many products are coated with ice. The question is, how much? Some frozen chicken breasts are 25% water, a high percentage. Think about this before you buy them. The chicken breasts will shrink as they cook and one fourth of your purchase price will disappear. Check the water content of ham, too, and avoid packages with pooling water.

The USDA defines basted and self-basting products as those that are "injected or marinated with butter, edible fat, broth, stock, water, spices, and 'other approved substances.'" Wow, that's a lot of stuff. What are the other approved substances, you ask? The processor is not required to tell you.

Interestingly, the term "chemical free" may not be used on any label. Most of the labeling terms are easy to understand. Not so with "Meat Derived by Advance Meat/Bone Separation and Meat Recovery Systems." In 1994 the USDA modified its definition of meat to include products "derived from advanced meat/bone separation machinery."

This may have been when the USDA approved the addition of bone material to hot dogs. But the USDA says the meat and bone separation machinery can't grind, crush or pulverize bones and "edible tissue and bones must emerge essentially intact." Say again?

When you buy tenderized meat you are paying for enzymes, flavoring, salt, and often, MSG and soy protein. Even consumers who love tenderized meat may need to be wary. If you are salt-sensitive, are allergic to soy, or have a violent reaction to MSG you must protect yourself.

1. Read every word on every label.

2. Buy "minimally processed" foods.

3. Check the serving size. Is it a "normal" size or would you eat more?

4. How much salt is in a serving?

5. What is the percentage of added water?

Wise consumers should also buy products that do not contain artificial ingredients or added color. Call the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854 for more information or email your questions to http://www.fsis.usda.gov.