‘Enhanced’ Meat: The Hidden Salt We’re Consuming

By Amanda Kimble-Evans
Published on July 14, 2014
1 / 2

Even if you see the word
Even if you see the word "natural," read labels to determine whether meat has been pumped with salt-water "broth."
2 / 2

Needle-injected meat is sodium-heavy and a high-risk carrier of E. coli.
Needle-injected meat is sodium-heavy and a high-risk carrier of E. coli.

It’s labeled “all natural,” you say? You may still have paid good money for 12 to 15 percent added salt water.

Before you take a bite out of that plump roast, grilled chicken breast or juicy steak, you may want to make sure your meat isn’t biting you back. That one serving of meat on your plate may contain enough added salt to equal that of a large serving of fast-food french fries. Processed food masquerading as fresh and, particularly, as “safe,” is today’s supermarket butcher-counter trend.

Plumped and Enhanced Meat

Consumer Reports sounded the alarm on “plumped” chicken back in 2008, when it revealed chickens from some big-name producers that are labeled “natural” are often pumped full of a salt-water solution, raising sodium content to unhealthy levels. Moreover, $1.50 of the price tag per package is salt water. But the plumping practice doesn’t end there, nor is it limited to chicken.

The demand for leaner meats has often translated to tougher and less flavorful cuts. Taking a page from the chicken processors’ book, beef and pork processors began pumping liquids into their meat to offset poor texture and taste. Although often called “broth,” the key ingredients in these fluids are water, salt and usually an antimicrobial. Meat processors inject the salt-water solution deep into the meat tissue to add “juiciness” — and weight — to the final product. This “enhanced” meat can still be labeled “natural.”

The Cost of Meat: From Your Pocket to Theirs

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368