How do you know the meat is imported?

yo'ma

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 9:29 am

We sold meat to a certain company and when I looked at the packages in the store, it didn’t say anywhere it was imported meat, but I know for a fact it was. I’ve heard people say that imported meat is not as good as not. I don’t understand why, they’re both sold frozen. We sell in town and it’s also sold frozen. The only time we haven’t had frozen is when my fil did the shechting a small amount and then brought some home.

ra_mom

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 9:34 am

yo'ma wrote:

I shop for meats at 2 stores. One writes on the package if it's American beef. If it's not labeled it's self understood that it's imported. The other uses different color trays to package the American meats on.
Some stores only sell imported beef and they don't need to label because their clientele knows.
The difference is in the texture and taste. The imported beef is pale, tough and dry. There is one exception here, and I buy that.

animeme

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 10:04 am

We also have different colored trays. By me, most meet comes fresh, not frozen. I wonder if some of this is location-specific to you, OP. Also, "imported" can mean different things in terms of meat quality depending on where you are and where it's coming from.

lkwdlady

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 10:45 am

I’m honestly wondering about imported meats vs American beef. This past year I’ve heard this term used a lot when shopping for meat. Until this year I don’t remember hearing people talk about imported and American. I have a number of questions. What changed and why are people requesting only American? Why does so much meat come from Argentina when there are schechting factories in different places in America? People used to ask for meat based on cut and hechsher but now all I hear is American or imported. Why?

Rappel

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 10:53 am

lkwdlady wrote:

IMHO? Fads, and lack of real information.

lkwdlady

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 11:01 am

ecs wrote:

Major difference in taste and texture.

Why? Is it because it was frozen for a long time? Does it taste better before it was imported?

allthingsblue

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 11:03 am

Rappel wrote:

IMHO? Fads, and lack of real information.

This is not the case. There is a huge difference in taste. I'm not sure why.

I think the imported brands are relatively newer to the market. For years we just had the local butcher and classic American brands; lately the bigger supermarkets opened up with imported meats.

Rappel

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 11:04 am

ecs wrote:

Major difference in taste and texture.

You know what really changes meat?
-The age of the animal
-The nature of its life (exercise/penned)
-What it ate
-How long ago it was slaughtered
-How the meat was frozen or preserved
-The actual cut of meat.

The nation in which it was raised has no effect.

ra_mom

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 11:10 am

lkwdlady wrote:

Why? Is it because it was frozen for a long time? Does it taste better before it was imported?

It has to do with quality of feed that the cattle eat, how much exercise they get, etc.
More natural can often mean more tough.
Tevya's Ranch grain finished imported beef is delicious. Their natural pasture imported beef is dry and not tasty.

lkwdlady

Sun, Jan 03 2021, 11:40 am

yo'ma wrote:

Which companies do you sell meat to?

yo'ma

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 8:16 am

allthingsblue wrote:

What’s newer? My fil sold to Rubashkin about 20 years ago.

yo'ma

Mon, Jan 04 2021, 8:22 am

lkwdlady wrote:

Which companies do you sell meat to?

Not exactly sure, but I wouldn’t want to say it publicly anyway. And they sell to wholesalers. I think at one point to Tevya’s, kind of, but not really or a different one that said they’re organic.