Mystery meat: Canadians keep seeing "ungraded beef" at grocery stores and they're concerned
Some Canadians shopping at Loblaw stores have noticed something strange about the labels on certain beef packages.
Several shoppers have posted on social media about noticing that some meat is being marked as “ungraded” from Mexico.
Shopper Mark Mendelson recently posted about spotting a package of tenderloin from “ungraded Mexican beef,” at his local grocery store.
“I love tenderloin and have been to Mexico many times. But ā¦@loblawcoā©, what the hell is the source of āungradedā meat? My imagination is running wild!” he wrote.
What’s equally startling is that the meat is priced at a whopping $64.53.
I love tenderloin and have been to Mexico many times. But, ā¦@loblawcoā©, what the hell is the source of āungradedā meat? My imagination is running wild! pic.twitter.com/fvN65NpPgW
— Mark Mendelson (@MendelsonMark) February 12, 2024
Folks in the comments were also curious about what “ungraded” meat is.
“Ungraded = unknown source of protein?” guessed one X user.
Ungraded = unknown source of protein ? Lol
ā Sean Khatibi (@Sean_khatibi) February 13, 2024
“Probably the 10th place finisher from last year’s Kentucky Derby,” joked another commenter.
Probably the 10th place finisher from last years Kentucky Derby, seriously I don’t think I would want to know, giddy upš¤£
ā Kiotiman (@Kiotiman2) February 12, 2024
Another X user posted a photo of the Rib Steak Boneless Tray Pack Cut from “ungraded Mexican beef” they spotted at their local Real Canadian Superstore.
“…Now @loblawco is selling meat from Mexico which is ungraded. Who knows what kind of meat that is, it just says “beef.” Not graded by [the] Canadian Food Inspection Agency,” they claimed.
You are right, now @loblawco is selling meat from Mexico which is ungraded. Who knows what kind of meat that is, it just says "beef". Not graded by Canadian Food inspection Agencies. This should be prohibited. I call it mystery meat. This is to show they reduce prices, its a con. https://t.co/vmIsvuEFin pic.twitter.com/Jlax7R3mOu
— @RGBAtlantica (@RGBAtlantica) February 13, 2024
Comments on the post flooded in, with many folks questioning if it is “even legal to sell” meat products that are “ungraded.”
How is it even legal to sell upgraded beef. I would never ever buy it. Not worth the health risk.
ā Leslie šš (@Leslie_M) February 13, 2024
“Itās horrible. We tried it. My hubby went shopping and didnāt notice the ungraded. If I had been blindfolded I would not have known what kind of meat I was eating. It was disgusting,” noted one shopper.
Itās horrible. We tried it. My hubby went shopping and didnāt notice the ungraded . If I had been blindfolded I would not have known what kind of meat I was eating. It was disgusting
ā Sassy Cat š„šš¤Ŗš¶š±š¦ššØš¦š (@SassyKru) February 13, 2024
“This is very sketchy. I wouldn’t touch it. There’s no way to know how the animals were raised, what they were fed, or the condition they were in when slaughtered,” said another.
Canadian shoppers have also questioned the meat on Reddit over the past few months.
“When did this start happening?” asked one Redditor, who spotted the package at their local Superstore in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, last year.
Ungraded Mexican beef at the Superstore! When did this start happening?
byu/seabreezeNpeachtrees inhalifax
Others have chimed in on various Reddit threads, noting it has a “gamier” flavour and isn’t considered a “high quality” meat.
What is ungraded beef and is it safe?
While many folks seemed concerned about what “ungraded” beef is made up of, Sylvain Charlebois ā director of the agri-food analytics lab at Dalhousie University ā provided some clarity about what it is on X.
He assured that it is “safe and edible” but noted its quality may vary.
More reports of “ungraded” beef in Canada. It’s safe and edible, but the quality of ungraded beef can vary. https://t.co/5m35EBVnJp
ā The Food Professor (@FoodProfessor) February 13, 2024
Canadian Beef provides a helpful breakdown of how Canada’s meat inspection works and how beef is “graded.”
According to the organization, beef grading indicates the “amount of marbling in the meat.”
“Grading is a voluntary process for Canadian beef, but inspection for safety is mandatory.”
Canada’s top beef grades range from Canada Prime (available in restaurants), Canada AAA, Canada AA, or Canada A.
“Beef can be sold ungraded, but eating quality can vary. Grading has nothing to do with inspection,” stated the agency.
As for what marbling is, it can enhance the juiciness and flavour of the beef and “refers to the amount of fine white flecks of fat that you see running through the lean meat.”
The Canadian Beef Agency also notes that “beef which is imported into Canada must be inspected but does not have to be graded.”
In a statement to Daily Hive, a Loblaw representative noted that the majority of the beef it sells in its stores is raised in Canada.
“Countries outside of North America often use a different grading system, which is why it is labelled in Canada as āungradedā, but it is always quality beef,” said Loblaw.
“We remain fully committed to sourcing Canadian-raised beef and supporting to the people who produce it. All imported fresh meat, including beef, is inspected and approved by the CFIA (Canadian Federal Inspection Agency).”
Daily Hive has reached out to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for further comment.
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