Facts about Meat

A Guide to Meat

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FACTS ABOUT MEAT

Many consumers want to know how to buy, store and prepare meats. For many of us, meat can be a big item in the food budget. That's why we feel that it is important for you to know more about meat so you can get the most for your money.

GOOD NEWS ABOUT MEAT

Nutrition

Meat supplies many nutrients that are essential to good health. While meat can contribute fat, saturated fat and cholesterol to the diet, meat is a good source of two nutrients often lacking in the American diet:

IRON: A nutrient most often lacking in the diets of women and children.
ZINC: A mineral that is essential for growth and metabolism.

Meat also contains these nutrients which are generally abundant in the American diet:

PROTEIN: A nutrient needed for growth and maintenance.
B-VITAMINS: Essential nutrients for metabolism and maintenance of cells.

The key is to eat the cuts of meat that are lower in fat. With the help of ranchers, farmers, packers and retailers, leaner cattle are being brought to market. Then meat is closely trimmed at our stores so you can choose lower fat meats. This guide will help you to determine which cuts are the leanest, so you can enjoy the advantages of meats' nutritional value AND keep your fat and cholesterol intake down.

MEAT FITS INTO A HEALTHFUL DIET!

What is a serving?

A serving of meat is 2-3 oz. cooked or about the size of a deck of cards.

How much food from the meat & beans group is needed daily?

The amount of food from the Meat and Beans Group you need to eat depends on age, sex, and level of physical activity. Most Americans eat enough food from this group, but need to make leaner and more varied selections of these foods. Recommended daily amounts are shown in the chart.

Daily recommendation*
Children	2-3 years old	2 ounce equivalents**
	4-8 years old	3 – 4 ounce equivalents**

Girls	9-13 years old	5 ounce equivalents**
	14-18 years old	5 ounce equivalents**

Boys	9-13 years old	5 ounce equivalents**
	14-18 years old	6 ounce equivalents**

Women	19-30 years old	5 ½ ounce equivalents**
	31-50 years old	5 ounce equivalents**
	51+ years old	5 ounce equivalents**

Men	19-30 years old	6 ½ ounce equivalents**
	31-50 years old	6 ounce equivalents**
	51+ years old	5 ½ ounce equivalents**

*These amounts are appropriate for individuals who get less than 30 minutes per day of moderate physical activity, beyond normal daily activities. Those who are more physically active may be able to consume more while staying within calorie needs.

NUTRITION LABELING: LOOK FOR IT!

It is important to us that you know what is in the products you buy. That's why we have posted in the Meat Department, Nutrition Facts for 45 single raw meat and poultry products that are the top sellers determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This information is also found at the back of this guide on pages 14-17.

WHAT DOES "LEAN" MEAN?

Along with the revision of the food labels mandated by federal law, there are new definitions for terms on package labels.

The following definitions apply:

Lean: less than 10 grams total fat, less than 4.5 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per 3 oz (or 85g) serving.
Extra Lean: less than 5 grams total fat, less than 2 grams saturated fat, and less than 95 milligrams cholesterol per 3 oz (or 85g) serving.

SELECTING A LEANER CUT OF MEAT

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grades beef and poultry to indicate quality standards. Grading is voluntary and unrelated to safety. ALL meat is inspected for wholesomeness.

Retail U.S.D.A. beef grades are from highest to lowest:

Prime
Choice
Select

Fat content tends to be higher in the higher grades. Select grade, therefore, is the leanest available in retail stores.

The cut of the meat, no matter what grade, also influences the fat content. The following cuts of meat are lower fat cuts:

GROUND MEATS:

Perhaps the most traditional good buy is ground beef. Ground meats are also versatile and quick to cook. The leaner the ground beef, the more expensive it is. We strive to consistently meet specified levels of fat content for different ground beef products. The following information explains the names of our ground beef products and their fat contents:

% Lean - % Fat Content of Ground Beef at our Stores

Uncooked	%Lean-%Fat Uncooked DOES NOT EXCEED		Grams Fat per 3 oz Cooked Serving

Lean	93% lean	7% fat	6 grams
Ground Sirloin	91% lean	9% fat	8 grams
Ground Round	86% lean	14% fat	12 grams
Ground Chuck	78% lean	22% fat	18 grams
Regular	72% lean	28% fat	20 grams

WHY IS MEAT RED SOMETIMES AND BROWN OTHER TIMES?

THE COLOR OF RED MEATS . . . . . is not an indication of freshness.
Freshly cut meat is normally a dark color. However, when it is exposed to air, it will "bloom" and turn red. When the meat is ground and then tightly packed, the inside, which is denied oxygen, will be brown. If you break open the meat and let it stand for a short while, it will begin to turn red again.

TO FURTHER ASSURE THAT MEATS ARE WHOLESOME

We "open date" meat for freshness. All of our meat labels show a "pull date", or the last date the meat will be sold. This date allows you adequate time in which to use your purchase. See the following storage chart for proper storage at home. Extended time in the freezer will lead to loss of taste and texture.

MEAT STORAGE CHART

PRODUCT		STORAGE PERIOD (TO MAINTAIN QUALITY)
		Refrigerator 35-40^oF. Days	Freezer 0^oF. Months
Fresh Meats
	Chops	3-5	4-6 pork; 6-9 veal, lamb
	Roasts	3-5	4-6 pork, and veal; 6-12 beef, 6-9 lamb
	Steaks	3-5	6-12 beef, veal
	Stew Meats	1-2	3-4
	Ground Meats	1-2	3-4
	Variety Meats	1-2	3-4
	Sausage	1-2	1-2

Cured Processed Meats (open packages)
	Bacon	7	1 month pork*
	Hot Dogs	7	1-2 months in freezer wrap

Ham
	Whole	7	1-2*
	Half	3-5	1-2*
	Slices	3-4	1-2*
	Canned, Unopened	6-9 months	Not recommended

Luncheon Meats		3-5	1-2 months

Corned Beef
	Drained and Wrapped	7	1 month
	In Unopened, Heavy Plastic	45	Not recommended

Sausage
	Raw Pork, Beef, Turkey	1-2	1-2 months
	Smoked (Links, Patties)	7	Not recommended
	Dry & Semi-Dry	2-3 weeks	1-2 months

Cooked Meats
	Cooked Meat & Meat Dishes	3-4	2-3
	Gravy & Meat Broth	1-2	2-3

Commercially Frozen Meats
	Ground Meat	3	3
	Thin Steaks	3	3
	Meat Dinners	3	3
	Meat Pies	3	3

*Frozen cured meat loses quality rapidly and should be used as soon as possible. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Home and Garden bulletin No. 248.

Food Safety

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