What Are the White Pieces in Ground Beef
Buzzlee
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I was browing some ground beef this evening and noticed some off white rubber pirces in it 
Without really thinking I just threw out what I browned so i have no proff. I'm thiking I should contact costco to at least let them know...but I did buy this package over a month ago and I has packaged it up in single dinner servings already so i don't even have the origional packaging to know what date it was bought/packaged on.
Does anyone have any expienece with this? I do still have 5 frozen servings in ziplock bags in my freezer which i obviously wont be using.
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How do you know it's rubber and not cartilage?
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(09-05-2013 08:05 PM)gencow Wrote: How do you know it's rubber and not cartilage?
I've never seen cartilage in ground beef...
I would inform them. Do you remember the date you bought it?
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Buzzlee
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I work in the food industry and stuff like this is taken very seriously. Please notify Costco so the ground beef supplier can check their records/quality control procedures.
Costco would have the date purchased on file, they can probably track the meat that way to the company/time frame in which it was processed.
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They should be able to check your account to see when you bought it. They can figure out what lot the beef came from that way.
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I would let them know. They could look up your purchases around that time and maybe confirm the info.
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Buzzlee
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Thanks! I never thought about them being able to look of up with my membership. Since its been in my freezer for a month I'd be surprised it no one else has contacted them. Ill call them right away.
And it definitely was rubber. It was really stretchy.....yuck!
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(09-05-2013 08:36 PM)spring Wrote:(09-05-2013 08:05 PM)gencow Wrote: How do you know it's rubber and not cartilage?
I've never seen cartilage in ground beef...I would inform them. Do you remember the date you bought it?
You've never had small hard bits (ie. gristle) in your ground beef? The processing of beef isn't perfect (especially the low cost processing) so sometimes cartilage and connective tissue pieces can contaminate the final product. Connective tissue can look a lot like rubber. If it was coloured I would be way more inclined to say rubber, but white stretchy bits sounds like connective tissue. It's not supposed to be there though -at least in significant amounts- but you are dealing with a whole animal during processing (which is why e. coli can contaminate ground beef) and it should be reported. Costco will give you your money back I would imagine.
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Buzzlee
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Were you using a white rubber spatula to stir beef while cooking? I only ask because it has happened to me where a spatula has melted while cooking!
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(09-05-2013 09:05 PM)gencow Wrote:(09-05-2013 08:36 PM)spring Wrote: I've never seen cartilage in ground beef...I would inform them. Do you remember the date you bought it?
You've never had small hard bits (ie. gristle) in your ground beef? The processing of beef isn't perfect (especially the low cost processing) so sometimes cartilage and connective tissue pieces can contaminate the final product. Connective tissue can look a lot like rubber. If it was coloured I would be way more inclined to say rubber, but white stretchy bits sounds like connective tissue. It's not supposed to be there though -at least in significant amounts- but you are dealing with a whole animal during processing (which is why e. coli can contaminate ground beef) and it should be reported. Costco will give you your money back I would imagine.
I haven't, no. At home we buy beef from family. But at work we buy lower quality meat, and I've never seen it. Not saying it's not possible, and doesn't happen as I'm sure it can and does, I've just not experienced it myself.
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Buzzlee
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(09-05-2013 09:05 PM)gencow Wrote:(09-05-2013 08:36 PM)spring Wrote: I've never seen cartilage in ground beef...I would inform them. Do you remember the date you bought it?
You've never had small hard bits (ie. gristle) in your ground beef? The processing of beef isn't perfect (especially the low cost processing) so sometimes cartilage and connective tissue pieces can contaminate the final product. Connective tissue can look a lot like rubber. If it was coloured I would be way more inclined to say rubber, but white stretchy bits sounds like connective tissue. It's not supposed to be there though -at least in significant amounts- but you are dealing with a whole animal during processing (which is why e. coli can contaminate ground beef) and it should be reported. Costco will give you your money back I would imagine.
I know what you mean by the hard white bits, I have had that before. i guess this could have been connective tissue since it was white but there was a significant amount. Regaurdless I am turned off ground beef for a little while....
(09-05-2013 09:23 PM)jandoubleoh7 Wrote: Were you using a white rubber spatula to stir beef while cooking? I only ask because it has happened to me where a spatula has melted while cooking!
Nope no rubber spatula
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I always thought Costco was pretty good quality meat?? Is that not really the case? I thought Loblaws/Superstore was lower quality for some reason.
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I would definitely mention it to Costco, I'm sure they'll refund your money.
I have seen the odd piece of gristle/connective tissue in my ground meat before. I knew what it was though, so it didn't bother me.
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Buzzlee
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I've had it happen twice. Once about a year ago and it was blue rubber. I was told it was a glove that got caught in the machine. I pray nobody's fingers were in that glove. Then again last week and it was white rubber this time. Not connective tissue at all. Perhaps it's packaging material that gets ground in? Either way, it's not reassuring at all.
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Ewwww, I have lots of Costco ground beef in my freezer right now. I've never had a problem before.
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I buy ground beef from Costco all the time and I've never seen anything weird that shouldn't be in there. I would let them know for sure.
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(09-06-2013 06:33 AM)Applefrog Wrote: Ewwww, I have lots of Costco ground beef in my freezer right now. I've never had a problem before.
This exactly!!
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@snowflake- perhaps cook up a couple of the other packages, so you can show Costco?
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Someone posted about the same thing a few years ago on WB and it was indeed something plastic. I returned meat a few months old without the receipt after the ground beef recall this time last year. They reimbursed me even though I didn't have the packaging as well (I had put the ground beef into smaller freezer bags).
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I'd take what you have back to Costco, tell them about the rubber, and get your refund. They'll report it and can send the frozen beef you bring back off to be checked out.
A few years ago I bought ground beef at Sobeys and found white plastic in it. I had bought extra lean and cooked it up for tacos. They were very small melty white flecks in the beef. I took it back and they exchanged it for a new pack, this time of lean ground beef. I assumed the lean and extra lean wouldn't have the same problem. I was wrong. I got it home, cooked it up, and the same white melty flecks were in it. I called them and they said to bring it in to the manager of the meat department the next day. I took it in, asked to speak to the department manager. Turned out he was maybe 19 or 20. His response to me was "it was probably just one of the plastic soaker pads". He didn't seem to think it was even an issue. I told him that I hoped he'd removed all the ground beef from the shelf since it's not "just a soaker pad", but rather a foreign object in a food product and it isn't safe. He didn't seem to care much. I haven't bought ground beef at Sobeys since.
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Check out your other packaged portions and see if it is in those as well. It could possibly be something on your side.
I've never visibly seen white cartilage in my ground beef before. Yuck. I think 25 years ago I got some gristle in my burger and I didn't eat beef for years haha. This is why I prefer ground turkey or chicken.
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If you're not happy with the response at the store, you can go to your local health authority as well.
http://inspection.gc.ca/food/information...4500195684
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Source: http://buzzle.ca/showthread.php?tid=38772
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