RE: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! enhanced meat

[Guest guest]

And also, this forum comment says it all:The thread between all 3 of these meats is that they were purchased at Wal-Mart and had been "enhanced" with an 11% solution. They don't tell you what that solution is. I understand that it is sodium phosphate, but

I don't know for sure. >> My public service announcement for the day: if you shop at Wal-Mart, you> might benefit from reading this article> <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/09/dining/09well.html> from the NY> Times. Here's the condensed takeaway (bolded points are mine):> > The Customer Wants a Juicy Steak? Just Add Water By MARIAN BURROS > Published: August 9, 2006> > > EACH day it's becoming less likely that the meat you buy in the > supermarket is just meat. After spending years breeding cattle, pigs and> poultry to be leaner, the food industry has been injecting meat with > water, salt and chemicals to replace the flavor and restore the > tenderness that was lost with the fat...> The increased use of enhancement, which can quadruple the amount of> sodium in meat, has coincided with calls by health professionals for> the food industry to reduce much of the sodium it adds to food...> > Meats are naturally low in sodium. But nutrition labels for enhanced> meat show that they can have as much as 540 milligrams of sodium in a > four-ounce portion...> > Along with salt and water, the process can add chemicals like sodium> phosphate, which helps the meat retain the added water when it is> cooked, and sodium lactate or potassium lactate to extend the shelf> life by inhibiting bacteria...> > The department requires any meat product with added liquid to be> clearly labeled with language such as "beef tenderloin with up to> 15 percent added solution'' or "boneless chicken breast with> up to 20 percent of a flavoring solution of water, spices, sugar and> phosphates,'' said Cohen, a spokesman for the agency. The> label must also have a nutrition-facts panel...> > But the labeling I saw was in very small type and often in an obscure> place. The labels on some Cryovac packages of enhanced spareribs were> in a folded-over portion of the packaging. On some meat products it is> not there at all...> > Many people have no choice about whether to eat enhanced meat.> Custom-cut meat is being rapidly replaced in supermarkets by case-ready> meat, enhanced and packaged by processors...> > Wal-Mart, for example, says a majority of its fresh offerings are> enhanced with a 6 to 12 percent solution of water, salt, sodium> phosphate and natural flavorings.>

[Guest guest]

If you shop at Super  Target, these types of meat products are under the Hormel label.

 

My public service announcement for the day: if you shop at Wal-Mart, you might benefit from reading this article from the NY Times. Here's the condensed takeaway (bolded points are mine):

The Customer Wants a Juicy Steak? Just Add Water

By MARIAN BURROS

Published: August 9, 2006

EACH day it's becoming less likely that the meat you buy in the supermarket is just meat. After spending years breeding cattle, pigs and

poultry to be leaner, the food industry has been injecting meat with water, salt and chemicals to replace the flavor and restore the tenderness that was lost with the fat...The increased use of enhancement, which can quadruple the amount of sodium in meat, has coincided with calls by health professionals for the food industry to reduce much of the sodium it adds to food...Meats

are naturally low in sodium. But nutrition labels for enhanced meat show that they can have as much as 540 milligrams of sodium in a four-ounce portion...Along with salt and water, the process can add chemicals like sodium phosphate, which helps the meat retain the added water when it is cooked, and sodium lactate or

potassium lactate to extend the shelf life by inhibiting bacteria... The department requires any meat product with added liquid to be clearly labeled with language such as " beef tenderloin with up to 15 percent added solution'' or " boneless chicken breast with up to 20 percent of a flavoring solution of water, spices, sugar and phosphates,'' said

Cohen, a spokesman for the agency. The label must also have a nutrition-facts panel... But the labeling I saw was in very small type and often in an obscure place. The labels on some Cryovac packages of enhanced spareribs were in a folded-over portion of the packaging. On

some meat products it is not there at all... Many

people have no choice about whether to eat enhanced meat. Custom-cut meat is being rapidly replaced in supermarkets by case-ready meat, enhanced and packaged by processors... Wal-Mart, for example, says

a majority of its fresh offerings are enhanced with a 6 to 12 percent solution of water, salt, sodium phosphate and natural flavorings.

[Guest guest]

Natalia, talk to your Trader Joe's manager. I know here in California we have

far stricter laws about " infused " meat (I've actually never seen it, except in

the frozen section) than much of the US, but my Trader Joe's manager told me

that on their fresh poultry and seafood, if there is no label indicating that

salt was added, then salt has not been added. I don't know if this is a

company-wide policy or just my local stores.

> So, I bought a very nice steak in WalMart yesterday, labeled 60 mg of sodium.

To throw it away? :-) 

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> Natalia

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[Guest guest]

Agree that is about normal.What size of a serving is it to get 60 mg and how much do you eat at a time?C Grim MD I guess I'm missing something but what's wrong with 60 mg of sodium? All meat has about that much naturally-occurring sodium. Val So, I bought a very nice steak in WalMart yesterday, labeled 60 mg of sodium. To throw it away? :-) Natalia

[Guest guest]

Thank you. I will do it. To: hyperaldosteronism Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 12:30 AMSubject: Re: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! "enhanced" meat

Natalia, talk to your Trader Joe's manager. I know here in California we have far stricter laws about "infused" meat (I've actually never seen it, except in the frozen section) than much of the US, but my Trader Joe's manager told me that on their fresh poultry and seafood, if there is no label indicating that salt was added, then salt has not been added. I don't know if this is a company-wide policy or just my local stores.

> So, I bought a very nice steak in WalMart yesterday, labeled 60 mg of sodium. To throw it away? :-)Â

> Â

> Natalia

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[Guest guest]

Serving size is 4 ounces. I eat probably 2. To: hyperaldosteronism Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 9:07 AMSubject: Re: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! "enhanced" meat

Agree that is about normal.What size of a serving is it to get 60 mg and how much do you eat at a time?C Grim MD I guess I'm missing something but what's wrong with 60 mg of sodium? All meat has about that much naturally-occurring sodium. Val

So, I bought a very nice steak in WalMart yesterday, labeled 60 mg of sodium. To throw it away? :-) Natalia

[Guest guest]

I spoke to Giant Eagle manager and he swore that they don't have infused meat. They have a table with sodium content in every kind of meat, but it's hanged so highthat it's almost impossible to see. And they don't have labels on every package.Could we trust their table? To: hyperaldosteronism Sent:

Thursday, September 29, 2011 10:35 AMSubject: Re: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! "enhanced" meat

Please let us know what you find out! It would be good to be able to put together a list of grocery stores that have non-infused meat options. So far I've only got TJ's and Whole Foods, both of whom have been interrogated extensively by me.

> > So, I bought a very nice steak in WalMart yesterday, labeled 60 mg of sodium. To throw it away? :-)ÂÂ

> > ÂÂ

> > Natalia

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[Guest guest]

This is problem! Can we trust WalMart labels or not? NataliaTo: hyperaldosteronism Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 1:31 PMSubject: RE: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! "enhanced" meat

Then it was mislabeled. 65 mg is not awful. That much occurs naturally in most meat and fish. We have not found a single meat except ground buffalo at Walmart that was not infused with sodium. Val From: hyperaldosteronism [mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of Natalia Kamneva Yes, you missed my previous posting about 65 mg of sodium in WalMart's cornish hen, that made me sick and msmith's postings with pointers to WalMart cheating with their labels and sometimes quadrupled the amount ofsodium. Unfortunately, in Pittsburgh, where I live, only WalMart has labels on their meat. Only Shop'N Save has labelson their cheese. All other supermarkets, including Giant Eagle, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and, McGinnesSisters don't have any labels on meat, poultry and cheese products. Natalia I guess I'm missing something but what's wrong with 60 mg of sodium? All meat has about that much naturally-occurring sodium. Val So, I bought a very nice steak in WalMart yesterday, labeled 60 mg of sodium. To throw it away? :-) Natalia

[Guest guest]

I wouldn't. If their standard is to carry infused meat, then please take your

business elsewhere. I'm a big believer in " voting with my wallet " - personally I

would never shop at Wal-Mart in the first place, because I am against so many of

the things that made them successful.

Uh oh, now it's getting political

> So, I bought a very nice steak in WalMart yesterday, labeled 60 mg of sodium.

To throw it away? :-) 

>  

> Natalia

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>  

>  

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[Guest guest]

You should be able to taste infused meat if you're eating a low-salt diet.  I certainly can, and cannot bear any infused meat. Val From: hyperaldosteronism [mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of Natalia Kamneva This is problem! Can we trust WalMart labels or not? Natalia

[Guest guest]

Sure. You are right as usually !!111To: hyperaldosteronism Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 9:43 PMSubject: Re: Re: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! "enhanced" meat

in France most likely due to sodium.CE Grim MD I am sure it was not spoiled. The BP is a good indicator. And it happened not once, but EVERY time, when I ate meat. It might be no salt but other hormones, that I react to, but I tried "no hormones" meat and could not eat it either. I found one type of ground turkey in Aldi, that labeled with 35 mg of sodium and I can eat it. The first

terrible episode with BP 240/145, when I was partially paralyzed, happened in France where I ate much more meat and seafood, than I usually eat at home. NataliaTo: hyperaldosteronism Sent:

Thursday, September 29, 2011 8:50 PMSubject: Re: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! "enhanced" meat Are you sure it was salt that caused the problem? Could the meat been starting to spoil? 2 days may be an indicator of food poison, as I remember you said you felt terrible for 2 days and we all jumped on the salt bandwagon. Just thinking out loud! - 64 yo morb. ob. male - 12mm X 13mm rt. a.adnoma with previous rt. flank & testicle pain. I have decided against an adrenalectomy at this time since Meds. are working so well. Current BP(last week ave): 122/73 Other Issues/Opportunities: OSA w Bi-Pap settings 13/19, DM2. and PTSD. Meds: Duloxetine hcl 80 MG, Mirtazapine 15 MG, Metoprolol Tartrate 200 MG, 81mg asprin, Metformin 2000MG and

Spironolactone 50 MG. > > I don't, but I feel terrible after that. > > > > ________________________________ > > To: hyperaldosteronism > Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2011 5:00 PM > Subject: RE: Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers! "enhanced" meat > > >  > You should be able to taste infused meat if you're eating a low-salt diet. I certainly can, and cannot bear any infused meat.

>  > Val >  > From:hyperaldosteronism [mailto:hyperaldosteronism ] On Behalf Of Natalia Kamneva >  > This is problem! Can we trust WalMart labels or not? >  > Natalia >  >