Quality -Grade Of Meat That The Local Markets Carries?

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MissRJ

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USA
I hope that my post does not sound stupid.

I know that according to law all products are required to be labeled.
The labeling still does not answer my question.
I would like to know if there is a source that provides information regarding what supplier, quality and grade of meat and seafood that two of the local markets use?
 

I'm not aware of any particular source for that type of info. Maybe someone else is?

When it comes to my own shopping habits though, I tend to believe that certain stores seem to have better quality for different food types. Store A has better meat; Store B has better veggies/fruit and another store for seafood. These judgements I make are all probably just my imagination though and for sure are non-scientific.
 
MrPants:
I usually get my meat, seafood and produce in grocery market one.
That stuff remains okay.
I just do not know if grocery market number two gets their meat, seafood and produce from the same suppliers-companies
as store number one.
 

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MissRJ said:
I hope that my post does not sound stupid.

I know that according to law all products are required to be labeled.
The labeling still does not answer my question.
I would like to know if there is a source that provides information regarding what supplier, quality and grade of meat and seafood that two of the local markets use?
Click to expand...
Best way to find out what you want to know. Ask to talk to the meat department manager & ask that person what you want to know.
 
Don't know about seafood, but when it comes to meat, certified Angus is all I use. However, when buying it, you have to be sure it has the Angus label (see pic) on it. Otherwise, slippery stores can and will advertise meat as Angus beef, but, without the label, it will be the renderings and possibly mixed with other meats. Learned this while raising Angus beef from the Angus association.


Angus.jpg
 
I asked the store manager. She said most of the meat comes from Mexico!
The meat dept. manager said "Some is from Mexico, some is from Texas."
I asked what grade? "It's all SELECT." Select can mean ANYTHING lower than choice.
I don't buy meat there. Did once but it tastes like shoe leather.
and Mexican beef? no inspections.

I found a grocery 25 miles from here which labels their beef, USDA CHOICE.
I only buy my meat from there!

There is also a large "chain store" in the next town. They said they are not
required to label the quality but you are safe if you buy anything that says
"reserve" on it.
Nope. I want it to say USDA CHOICE!
Yeah, @squatting dog, Unable to find anything with that label around here!
If I did, that's all I would buy!
 
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Don't know much about it, I try to buy all meat from a neighbor who raises cows. Grass fed and I can see them from my back yard. Problem is she only slaughters on occasion so you need to buy in quantity when you can. Sometimes a little tough, but good, and very reasonable prices.

All seafood I catch myself. If I were to figure out the cost per pound for that I'd probably fish less, so I'm not going to.
 
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Gaer said:
I asked the store manager. She said most of the meat comes from Mexico!
The meat dept. manager said "Some is from Mexico, some is from Texas."
I asked what grade? "It's all SELECT." Select can mean ANYTHING lower than choice.
I don't buy meat there. Did once but it tastes like shoe leather.
and Mexican beef? no inspections.

I found a grocery 25 miles from here which labels their beef, USDA CHOICE.
I only buy my meat from there!

There is also a large "chain store" in the next town. They said they are not
required to label the quality but you are safe if you buy anything that says
"reserve" on it.
Nope. I want it to say USDA CHOICE!
Yeah, @squatting dog, Unable to find anything with that label around here!
If I did, that's all I would buy!
Click to expand...
Any meat being imported into the USA MUST be inspected by the Federal Agricultural Agency. Meat being imported from Canada MUST be inspected , and the same rules apply to meat coming from Mexico. Your fears are unfounded. JimB.
 
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jimintoronto said:
Any meat being imported into the USA MUST be inspected by the Federal Agricultural Agency. Meat being imported from Canada MUST be inspected , and the same rules apply to meat coming from Mexico. Your fears are unfounded. JimB.
Click to expand...
Ok, Good! But it's still not choice beef and it still tastes like shoe leather.
 
Local super market meat advertised as:
Screenshot-at-2023-01-28-09-25-37.png


I don't know what either really means, in terms of quality. I don't buy beef often, has twice the caloric load as chicken, but I have noticed that if buying a steak I've got to look real closely to make sure it not going to be tasteless and tough.
 
MissRJ said:
I hope that my post does not sound stupid.

I know that according to law all products are required to be labeled.
The labeling still does not answer my question.
I would like to know if there is a source that provides information regarding what supplier, quality and grade of meat and seafood that two of the local markets use?
Click to expand...

That's a good question. They no longer know where beef and pork products come from. They could be from the US, Mexico, or overseas, but it's still labeled as being from the US.

I'm fortunate to have farmers near me who raise their own cattle and pigs.

This is why no one knows where USA grocery store beef and pork come from. Read it and weep.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 29, 2016 – "As directed by the United States Congress through Public Law 114-113, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is issuing a final rule that amends the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations by removing the requirements for muscle cuts of beef and pork, and ground beef and pork.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016 repealed these COOL requirements and immediately after the legislation was passed, USDA stopped enforcing the COOL requirements for beef and pork effective Dec. 18, 2015.

COOL is a labeling law that for marketing purposes requires retailers to provide their customers with information regarding the country of origin of regulated commodities. AMS is responsible for the administration and enforcement of COOL regulations.

Under this final rule, beef and pork muscle cuts and ground beef and pork are removed from the list of covered commodities subject to the COOL regulation. Retailers are no longer required to provide this information for beef and pork at the point of sale. COOL regulatory requirements for chicken, lamb, goat, farm-raised and wild caught fish and shellfish, perishable agricultural commodities, peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, and ginseng are still in effect.

All imported and domestic meat products continue to be subject to rigorous inspections by USDA to ensure food safety.

The final rule will be published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2016, and is effective upon publication. For additional information, contact AMS by phone at (202) 720-4486 or send an email to: cool@ams.usda.gov."

USDA Amends Country of Origin Labeling Requirements, Final Rule Repeals Beef and Pork > https://www.ams.usda.gov/press-rele...requirements-final-rule-repeals-beef-and-pork

Bella ✌️
 
Prime, choice, select, commercial, cutter, utility. Most grocery stores are prime, choice or select. Think of how much marbling your steak has. This is the fat visible in the steak itself. Pretty hard for grass fed to be prime and most would not grade choice. Corn and grains are used to fatten an animal. Your select cuts are much leaner. Of course if you are buying hamburger lean is not a bad thing. And after spending alot of time at sale barns and doing time riding pens in a feedlot I will say that what matters is the grade of meat….not the breed. Some breeds will grade higher. Holstein will not compete with hereford. Beefalo is leaner…never grade prime.
 
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Muskrat:
You are not the only person to mention marbling.
I will guess that means too much is not good-even if the meat itself looks good.
I purchase the Prime 90% Lean Ground Beef Hamburger.
I have purchased red meat with some fat/marbling being visible.
 
Thank you.
I am not sure that I understand.
I never knew about muscle requirements for pork or red meat.
 
I really do not know much about that labeling.
Markets can place a label-sticker saying that the steak, beef roast or etc. is USDA.
All supermarkets have labels on their packaged meats and seafood.
 
Updated on Thursday, March 9,2023
I was trying to learn how to know the quality of red meat.
In general, it is a good idea for me to be able to learn how to tell the quality-and understand the labeling.
All supermarkets do not get their products from the same places.

Most of the time I shop in Market #1.
Just by looking at their meat and seafood a customer can tell that the quality looks good.
There's that labeling that a customer needs to read/see.

I also sometimes shop at Market #2.
When I look at their red meat and seafood I do question the quality.
I also look for that labeling.
Normally, I do not purchase my red meat or seafood there.
I do purchase other grocery items.

GROCERIES
6 Ways To Recognize Top-Quality Beef at the Grocery Store, According to Experts
The USDA's beef grading system can help, but there’s definitely more to it.
LaRue V. Gillespie
By LaRue V. Gillespie
FACT CHECKED BY MURA DOMINKO
Published on September 24, 2022 | 6:45 AM
Link https://www.eatthis.com/news-recognize-top-quality-beef-at-grocery-store/
Link https://www.eatthis.com/
 
Food Basics here in Canada carries ungraded beef at times. Judging by the small print on the label they must be ashamed of it.

It is inspected but the label does not say if it is A or AA or AAA and I suspect it is not high grade at the price.

Never tried it and never will.
 
I shop all over for different items. My experience is Meijer's beef is best. Walmart pork is best. Meijer produce is best. Kroger milk is best. Fish straight out of the lake is best. Corn fed beef is best...grass fed is tough and tastes funny. Just my opinion.
 
Meat is like anything else. Mostly you get what you pay for. If it's important to you to have the best, shop at butcher depts. where they take pride in what they sell and are happy to take the time to talk to customers. If you're buying in bulk, Costco is generally well regarded for larger sized pkgs. Even big supermarket chains specialize: some focus on produce, some on meat, some on household items.

If you get into the rarefied level of gourmet sourcing, mail order - Snake River, Creekstone Farms, Allen Bros. - is available for $$$$$$$.

In urban and rural areas, there is generally at least one independent butcher who retails better quality meats.
 

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