So you’re eating burgers at a cookout with some friends. One pal asks the host, “Hey, is this ground beef organic?” The host smugly answers, “Of course, I only buy grass-fed.” “Oh, so it’s antibiotic free?” queries another buddy, to which the host replies, “Didn’t you hear me? I said it’s grass-fed.” What the host apparently doesn’t know is that he may be very mistaken. [More]
beef
How Safe Is Your Ground Beef?
By 8.24.15 — Updated: 8.31.15
This story was first published by our sister publication Consumer Reports. [More]
Mechanically Tenderized Beef To Finally Be Labeled
By 5.13.15
More than a quarter of all beef sold in the U.S. is mechanically tenderized, meaning that machines with tiny little blades have been used to make the raw product more tender. But this step can also have the effect of driving surface pathogens deeper into the meat where they might not be killed during the cooking process. Since 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received reports of six outbreaks attributable to these products. Two years ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it was going to require labels for mechanically tenderized beef. Those labeling rules have now been finalized and will go into effect a year from now. [More]
McDonald’s Launching Line Of Bigger Burgers For A Limited Time
By 4.7.15
In the latest in a series of changes announced by McDonald’s as it tries to win its way back into the hearts and mouths of consumers, the chain is launching a line of larger burgers starting later this month, for a limited time. [More]
Consumers Want To Eat More Local Beef, But There Aren’t Enough Butchers These Days
By 3.6.15
Does the idea of a hard day at work cutting up cattle carcasses appeal to you? If not, you’re not alone: Despite the growing trend toward eating more local beef, there simply aren’t enough people going into the profession of butchering to meet the increased demand. [More]
Appeals Court: Insurance Doesn’t Have To Pay For 2008 Burrito Recall
By 3.4.15
You might remember the Foster Farms Salmonella outbreak last year, which made hundreds of people sick. The company’s insurer, Lloyd’s of London refused to pay for their losses from the outbreak and following recall because the company waited a very long time before officially recalling any meat. The federal government was able to shut down poultry plants, but not recall the meat, since it wasn’t “contaminated” by any substances that you don’t normally find in chicken. [More]
McDonald’s Bringing Back Chicken Selects Amid Increased Focus On Poultry
By 2.19.15
Two months after McDonald’s announced it would cut down on menu offerings, the Golden Arches has plans to bring back its defunct Chicken Select tenders. [More]
California Slaughterhouse Co-Owner Pleads Guilty To Processing Cattle With Cancer
By 2.19.15
The co-owner of a now defunct California slaughterhouse at the center of a February 2014 recall that involved 8.7 million pounds of beef found “unfit for human food” has pleaded guilty in the federal case, acknowledging that he processed cancerous cattle. [More]
Burst In Brisket’s Popularity During Nationwide Beef Shortage Means Higher Prices At The Table
By 1.23.15
While brisket lovers may be rejoicing to see Texas-style barbecue restaurants popping up around the nation and fast food chains like Arby’s sticking the tender meat on the menu, its newfound popularity is coming with a higher price. [More]
More Than 48,000 Pounds Of Beef, Pork Recalled Because Pieces Of Metal Aren’t Edible
By 1.9.15
Finding a piece of metal in your frozen pork or beef might be enough for you to rethink your dinner plans. To ensure that doesn’t happen in your kitchen, a Los Angeles company is recalling more than 48,000 pounds of frozen meat that may be contaminated with metal. [More]
U.S. To Accept Irish Beef Imports Again, 15 Years After Mad Cow Scare
By 1.5.15
Americans loooove stuff from Ireland — rolling green hills, thatched roof cottages, saint’s days that give you an excuse to binge drink… But for the last 15 years, Irish beef has definitely not been one of them, after the mad cow scare that rocked Europe and ended beef imports into the U.S. from the countries affected. Until now, as the United States says it’ll start accepting imported beef from Ireland soon. [More]
From Guacamole To Coffee To Beef To Bourbon, Your Favorite Things Will Cost More In 2015
By 12.15.14
While the prices on certain things will inevitably decrease in the coming year — like the cost of my 1989 Daihatsu Charade or the amount of money I need to spend on shampoo — lots of things are expected to get pricier. Unfortunately, a number of these more expensive items are probably on many of your “things I really enjoy” lists. [More]
Ranchers Legacy Meat Co. Recalls 1,200 Pounds Of Ground Beef Over E.Coli Contamination
By 11.24.14
Sure, it’s Thanksgiving week and we’re all preparing to devour our fair share of turkey. But some consumers prefer a main dish that’s a little more beefy. If you’re part of that camp, you might want to check the label after a Minnesota firm recalled ground beef that may be contaminated with E. coli. [More]
Feds: Slaughterhouse Switched Out Unhealthy Cattle Heads During Inspectors’ Lunch Breaks
By 8.19.14
A federal grand jury has indicted the co-owners and two employees of the California slaughterhouse at the center of a massive beef recall earlier this year, and we’re now getting a better idea about how the plant allegedly got away with processing “diseased and unsound animals” that were “unfit for human food.” [More]
Pink Slime Plant Reopens Because High Beef Prices Mean There’s A Need For Cheaper Ingredients
By 8.13.14
More than two years after Beef Products Inc. announced it would permanently close three of its four “pink slime” processing plants, the company is reversing course and reopening a Kansas plant. [More]
This Burger Has More Burgers Instead Of Buns
By 8.6.14
Do you like the idea of KFC’s Double Down in theory, but prefer beef to chicken? In California, Fatburger has your back. Well, your bun. Instead of the lettuce-wrapped patties that are what you normally get as low-carb/gluten-free options, Fatburger has gone ahead and sandwiched a burger between two more burgers. [More]
If Texas Farmers Want Chipotle To Buy Their Beef, They Should Stop Feeding Antibiotics To Cattle
By 6.17.14
Yesterday, the Commissioner of the Texas Dept. of Agriculture wrote to the founder and CEO of burrito chain Chipotle, saying he was “shocked” by Chipotle’s “foolish” decision to buy beef from cattle raised in Australia when there are so many cattle farmers in the Lone Star State, accusing the company of abandoning American farmers — but glossing over the fact that the domestic supply is limited if Chipotle wants to stick to its guns about using antibiotic-free beef. [More]
Michigan Woman Files Lawsuit Against Plant Linked To E.coli Contamination
By 5.28.14
A massive ground beef recall earlier this month has been linked to 11 illnesses in four states, and now one lawsuit against the packing plant where the possible E.coli contamination occurred. [More]
