The composition of commercially available ground steaks contains unexpected ingredients.
Farmers and consumers alike are demanding more transparency regarding the composition of food, particularly for processed products. The French are in fact paying more and more attention to the quality of their food. While consumers are trying as much as possible to favour French food, they are also increasingly attentive to the ingredients that make up the products. This habit nevertheless requires taking the time to read the composition labels, which sometimes hold surprises.
Many products that are part of consumers’ daily diet are processed foods that contain various substances. Among the most common elements are food additives that ensure better resistance to foods and also serve to modify the taste, smell, texture and appearance of products. Foods can also contain flavorings or preservatives, which help slow down their expiration date. These additives can be of different natures. For example, some commercially available ground steaks contain bamboo fibers.
As indicated France Infominced steaks from supermarkets such as Carrefour, Intermarché and Cora as well as from the Charal, Tendre et plus or Socopa brands contain bamboo fibers. Depending on the brands and brands, the media specifies that the composition of these steaks contains between 2% and 4% of these plant fibers. The Socopa brand explains the presence of these fibers on its website: “The plant fibers present in our minced meats are intended to maintain the moisture naturally present in the meat, so that the minced meat retains all its softness and flavor during cooking. They bring a real taste benefit to the product, particularly in the case of medium or well-done cooking, which tends to dry out the meat.”
These bamboo fibers are completely legal, as France Info indicates. Ground steaks can also contain other additives such as pea or beet powder to intensify the red color of the meat. This also applies to frozen ground steaks which contain more rehydrated soy protein than bamboo fibers as France Info specifies. According to the media, these steaks can contain up to 24% soy. It is still in the interest of consumers to carefully read the composition of the products because bamboo and soy are allergenic ingredients.
The content of vegetable fibers is subject to standards in France and these establish a distinction between products according to their composition. regulation The State Regulations on the subject indicate that a product composed of 51% to 99% meat meets the designation “minced meat preparation”. Below 51% meat in the composition, the product is called “minced meat preparation”. Although officially these products are not minced steaks and are not the same, they are nevertheless sold next to each other in supermarkets in very similar packaging.