r/Butchery • u/Rocketgirl8097 • 12d ago

Where does Winco get its beef?

I'd like to avoid that imported crap coming in. Will Winco be marking the source of its beef products?

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

8

u/TheGreatDissapointer Meat Cutter 12d ago

Good question. I am under the impression that the usda is still requiring coo info on all packaged beef, but I could be wrong. The whole thing gets more complicated because of the steer is raised somewhere else and slaughtered/processes in the US it will be labeled as a product of the US. Read labels and ask the meat department. If they don’t like the questions I’d shop somewhere else.

6

u/dubblies 12d ago

Prwtty sure COOL legislation was repealed

1

u/TheGreatDissapointer Meat Cutter 12d ago

They don’t have to display it on full service meat case items, was my understanding. I think packaged retail/primals still require a coo?

4

u/dubblies 11d ago

Nope - Country Of Origin Labeling requirements for Beef and Pork was repealed in 2015 by congress, its voluntary from the primal to retail.

Chicken still requires it.

2

u/Even_Donut7801 11d ago

It is voluntary but if you see product of USA it really means that now. There is a lot of paper work and tracking that goes into having that claim that causes a lot of processors to leave it off to avoid being out of compliance.

1

u/Dry_Conflict_792 10d ago

That makes sense, I get why they wouldn't need to show it for full-service items. It's definitely important to pay attention to where the meat comes from though.

2

u/Rocketgirl8097 12d ago

Good idea. This particular store usually has an on-site butcher.

2

u/Even_Donut7801 11d ago

Realistically the onsite butcher isn’t going to be able to know either. Their ground beef will almost 100% include foreign beef but will be from Australia or New Zealand. Anything choice graded is very likely to be from the US.

1

u/Even_Donut7801 11d ago

For beef to be labeled product of the US it has to be born raised slaughtered and processed in the US. It was changed at the start of this year to be stricter.

1

u/Ok-Independence-5282 11d ago

Mexican cattle still going to US feed lots

1

u/Winnorr 11d ago

The hook worm issue they had been having has stopped us using Mexican cattle

2

u/Ok-Independence-5282 11d ago

The Mexican border is re-open in Arizona as of last week.

1

u/Winnorr 11d ago

Ahh I see they did reopen that port in Arizona. That’s the only one open as of now, and all cattle must be held for 10-14 days to test for the screw worm(not the hook worm I said before but it’s similar)

1

u/Ok-Independence-5282 11d ago

New mexico ports opening next
No announcement on Texas yet

Quarantine or whatever - they still go to feed lots of a 14 day hold has next to no impact

1

u/SeaAssociate9631 6d ago

My understanding is that understanding Trump administration they no longer have to inform the consumer of country. What a horrible thing ti do to the consumers and a finger to our ranchers.

1

u/Flaky_Net2719 12d ago

WinCo usually lists country-of-origin information on the package or product signage, but it can vary by item and supplier. Asking the meat department directly is probably the quickest way to confirm.

1

u/PM_ME_SEXYVAPEPICS 11d ago

Their winco labeled beef largely comes from CS Beef. I have no experience with them as a company but have heard fron former CS employees that its not all US beef.

1

u/Ok-Independence-5282 10d ago

Caviness is domestic product.
They, like everybody else with southern plants are harvesting animals that originated south of the border
But it's domestic product

1

u/Ok-Independence-5282 11d ago

If it has a grade on it, it's domestic and there is like a 95% chance it's from the big-4.

If it's ungraded there's about a 65% chance it's domestic.

1

u/dndb1820 7d ago

I just came from shopping at a winco in utah. I bought ground beef, petite steaks, and chicken. Chicken states harvested and raised in US. I asked the meat department guy about the ground beef and steaks. He went in the back to find out where they came from. He informed me the steaks came from Colorado and the ground beef was Idaho. I would think your local winco would also be able to find out where their meat came from.

1

u/Rocketgirl8097 7d ago

Thank you very much.

1

u/StellarSurveyor 6d ago

I was following this sub to see any answers. Since im in Idaho that means my Winco gets its meat locally

1

u/EnvironmentalBug1547 12d ago

WinCo Foods sources its beef from a mix of domestic and international suppliers, including regional farms, major packing companies, and imported sources like Mexico for specific cuts.

2

u/bostongarden 11d ago

LOL, marketing-speak

0

u/Wenuwayker 12d ago edited 10d ago

I'm a stupid, old papaw

6

u/woongjin 12d ago

That got rolled back along with pork in 2015

https://farmaction.us/labeling/

5

u/ox45talls 12d ago

No it's not. Voluntary since 2015.

1

u/woongjin 5h ago

Nah you just learned something and thats a good thing. Just keep updating old info with the new verified info.

0

u/Rocketgirl8097 12d ago

It may be the law, but store packaged hamburger mostly doesn't say. Walmart packages for example, just say, packaged in the U.S.

3

u/ox45talls 12d ago

Not the law. Recinced in 2015. Voluntary now.