Why is the meat at the grocery store not as good as it used to be?

Question

You can tell when you get good meat .. it cooks, looks and tastes better. What has happened? Now I can pay $20/lb and it still isn't that good.

Answer 1

USDA Choice beef historically was the grade standard for the best grocery store meat departments. As the demand for lower fat cuts has increased many of them have started selling USDA Select beef. Lower amounts of fat translate into a different taste and tenderness usually. The higher cost of USDA Choice scares many consumers off and they go for the lower cost Select beef offers. Grocers try to deliver what their customers want. Another process that changed the quality of our meat is the use of enhancing to deliver more tenderness. The biggest meat retailer in the United States now only offers lower grade beef with enhancement (solution added). Look for USDA Choice beef with no enhancements for the same old quality beef you are used to. Restaurants do not get the good stuff. There is enough to go around.

Answer 2

The restaurants buy the best meat, leaving the lesser-quality meat for the grocery stores. The push for leaner meat has also lead to a general decline in the quality of meat.

Answer 3

Cause it's crap. Nowhere near as good as it used to be. To much concern about contamination and they have regulations. Plus the stuff sent to the markets are after the high end restaurants have sifted through and picked out the best cuts.
Which is another reason why a lot more people prefer to eat out for steak.

Answer 4

You need to change grocery stores. Apparently your store has decided to purchase inferior meat to probably save money.

I have a problem with Meijer's meat. It always made ill. I switched to Krogers and haven't had a problem since...

Answer 5

Mass production.

Answer 6

"they" probably found shortcuts that make it cost less leading it to have lower quality. if u want good meat, get ur meat straight from the slaughter house (that stuff's GOOD!). that's my answer.

Answer 7

Government regulations.

Answer 8

the cows are not as good thats why
grazing land is expensive ,they are butchered to early to make money quicker
and maybe they have to walk further for water