Do You Know What’s in Your Beef?

Americans consume approximately 5 billion hamburgers each year which equates to roughly 1.2 billion pounds of “meat.” Fast food is big business. Most consumers presume that the hamburger they eat is composed primarily of meat. But is it?

In Reno, Nevada, the Digestive Health Center and its team of GI doctors at our Reno gastroenterology practice often address dietary concerns linked to fast food consumption. The popular question, “Where’s the beef?” from a 1984 ad campaign, humorously highlighted the size of beef patties in hamburgers. Yet, this question also raises important dietary inquiries about the actual content of fast food hamburgers, prompting a closer examination of what really constitutes these patties and the implications for our health?

What’s in Fast Food Burgers?

A study that analyzed eight different brands of fast food hamburgers examined a piece of each fat food hamburger meat under a microscope. The meat content, water content, other tissue types including bone, fat, nerve, plant and parasites were assessed.

The question became, “what are most of these burgers made of?” The answer is water. The amount of water in these burgers was as much as 37-64 percent. But considering we are eating a burger because we expect it to be beef, then how much beef is really in the patty? Surprisingly, the meat content was as low as 2 to 15 percent in the eight types of hamburgers analyzed.

So what else is in the patties? That leaves 20-50 percent that is not water or meat. Other tissue types that were identified included: nerves, blood vessels, bone, and adipose (fat) tissues, as well as parasites which were found in two hamburgers. Plant material was also found, which is usually used as filler.

I Make My Hamburgers at Home

We know what you are thinking, “I don’t eat that much fast food,” or “I make hamburgers for my family and friends at home,” which is perceived as being healthier. But is it?

In 2000, federal officials were struggling to remove potentially deadly E. coli from hamburgers when an innovative company from South Dakota came up with a novel idea: injecting beef with ammonia. Ammonia is a colorless gas with a characteristic pungent smell that is used in many commercial cleaning products. Although in wide use, ammonia is both caustic and hazardous.

The company, Beef Products Inc., had been looking to expand into the hamburger business with a product made from beef that included fatty trimmings the industry once relegated to pet food and cooking oil. The trimmings were particularly susceptible to contamination, but a study commissioned by the company showed that the ammonia process would kill E. coli as well as salmonella.

Officials at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) endorsed the company’s ammonia treatment, and have said it destroys E. coli “to an undetectable level.” They decided it was so effective that in 2007 when the department began routine testing of meat used in hamburgers sold to the general public, they exempted Beef Products.

Processed Beef is Everywhere

With the U.S.D.A.’s stamp of approval, the company’s processed beef has become a mainstay in America’s hamburgers; found in school lunches, business cafeterias and in the frozen meat section of your local grocery store or supermarket. The company says its processed beef, a mash-like substance frozen into blocks or chips, is used in a majority of the hamburger sold nationwide. But it has remained little known outside industry and government circles. The federal government agreed to the company’s request that the ammonia be classified as a “processing agent” and not an ingredient that would be listed on labels.

How to Avoid Processed Meat

Considering the concerns about processed meats, the gastroenterologists at the Digestive Health Center in Reno, NV, advise buying whole meats. Sourcing locally and having meat ground by request will give you better quality, and peace of mind about your dietary choices. Taking the time to understand what’s in your food is essential for your health and well-being.

For more detailed guidance on making healthier dietary choices, consider consulting with a gastroenterologist near you at Digestive Health.  Reach out to schedule an appointment.