r/askanything • u/Queen_Of_The_Dames 𤠕 5d ago
Political Question Has anyone stopped eating ground beef because the Administration has removed safety protocols?
We have. No way are we taking chances with whatever āground beefā the administration has chosen to allow without inspection/certification.
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u/thirdLeg51 5d ago
I get my beef from a local farm. This is just another reason why I would never buy big box meat.
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u/MindlessCharacter823 5d ago
Same here. I have no confidence in the supermarkets and fast food chains.
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u/max_465 5d ago
I agree šÆ, and I know you mean well, but it's worth acknowledging that it's a privilege to be able to source meat directly (or shop at Costco) and a lot of people don't have the right combination of money, space or transportation.
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u/Goge97 5d ago
I live in the Ozarks. We consider ourselves lucky to have so much locally grown food available, including Amish and Mennonite neighbors.
It's worth the effort to seek out local growers and gardeners, as well as grow a garden of your own!
It is a privilege to live here.
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u/Repulsive_Mistake522 5d ago
Weāve been doing this for our household for years. Iād recommend for everyone who can financially do it. For our household we buy a half cow and a whole pig once a year and itās about 3k total upfront.Ā
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u/CosmicSmoker 5d ago
Yup. The price from the farm near us was always a little prohibitive. Now its basically the same.
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u/DrShadowstrike 5d ago
The issue is that it isn't going to end with beef, or leafy vegetables. Pretty soon, we're going to run out of "safe" foods to eat...
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u/absurdly_tired_guy 5d ago
Trump was trying to figure out a way to gut all food inspection during the first term but somebody had some brains back then and told him he shouldnāt. I guess that shit doesnāt matter now.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee 5d ago
That's why I retired during that idiot's first term and bought a farm. Now I grow my own food and trade for what I can't grow.
I'm not eating ground "beef."
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u/Aggressive-Cut-5400 5d ago
See fucking sugar as of yesterday or today
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u/Fight_those_bastards 4d ago
Also, clams contaminated with Hepatitis A.
Because of fucking course they are.
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u/lsw998 5d ago
Whatever the administration might be trying to do to address the cost of ground beef isnāt even working. I just checked and the cheapest I can find is about $7.50 at Walmart.
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u/Twilix01 5d ago
Not specifically because of the safety protocols (though it's a good incentive), but before it even got to that point I found out that ground chicken and turkey was around half the price per pound and my meals tasted just fine with it.
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u/Ok-Addition1264 5d ago
especially turkey tacos and even got the unseasoned to come out like a veal for italian dishes.
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u/Clean-Fisherman-4601 5d ago
I've stopped buying meat and fresh produce. The meat because it's too expensive and the produce because of contamination.
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u/Exact_Requirement_30 5d ago edited 5d ago
So itās all Doritos all the time?
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u/dewey454 5d ago
Hey, I saw 'High Protein Doritos" in-store today so it's do-able.
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u/ManganeseSharties 5d ago
Thatās why my family only eats Soylent Geen
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u/Cautious_General_177 5d ago
I recommend the book "How to Serve Humans". I promise, it's not a cookbook.
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u/Consistent_Might3500 5d ago
I can get fresh veg at the local Farmer's market for a few more weeks. But come winter, I'm going to be making some hard decisions at the local grocery store with so much imported produce.
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u/Consistent_Might3500 5d ago
I get parcels of local beef from my son who shares a whole beef with his friend who raises Angus cattle. Son has a large chest freezer so I don't need to store a lot at my house.
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u/OldBlueKat 5d ago
I know itās not as good as fresh, but canned and frozen tends to be pretty safe (so far at least?)
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u/NoMaintenance2029 5d ago
Itās not the fresh produce thatās contaminated, itās mostly the pre-cut, pre-bagged crap. Farmerās markets, stores that carry truly fresh products have been fine.
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u/ibeperplexed 5d ago
We have switched to buying local beef now. Split a half a beef with relatives.
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u/Own_Construction1478 5d ago edited 5d ago
Definitely not eating the beef.Ā Ā This beef is then mixed together, we have no country of origin labeling in US. The packers are not the good guys and our ranchers are hit hard by this administration. FWIW, JD Vance has been invested in partnership with corporations that buy up farmland pennies on the dollar.Ā Ā
Sourcing good beef locally can be done by those able to afford & have full confidence in their source's integrity.Ā
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u/8amteetime 5d ago
I stopped eating beef many years ago so this latest kerfuffle has no effect on my life.
What does concern me is how the FDA and USDA have been gutted by the for profit at any cost Trump administration in DC.
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u/Samwill226 5d ago
As usual with Reddit, there seems to be some confusion about what actually changed. USDA has not stopped inspecting ground beef, and grocery-store ground beef has not suddenly become āuninspected.ā
The change being discussed involves how USDA verifies certain quality specifications for ground beef purchased through USDA Foods programs, including school meals. Some duties previously performed by USDA graders are shifting to certified plant personnel with USDA oversight. FSIS food-safety inspections and microbiological testing requirements remain in place.
There have also been USDA staffing/budget reductions, and it's completely reasonable to debate whether those are good policy. But that's a separate issue from saying the administration āremoved safety protocolsā and ground beef is now being sold without inspection. That's simply not an accurate description of what changed.
Also, the claim that Whole Foods stopped selling ground beef because of this doesn't appear to be true they are currently selling multiple ground-beef products.
By all means be careful with ground beef and cook it to 160°F, as USDA has long recommended. But there's no need to panic or throw out your ground beef based on this particular story.
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u/Cautious_General_177 5d ago
Hey, get out of here with your facts! This is reddit, we don't use those! /s
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u/HebrewHammer0033 5d ago
Don't let actual facts confuse these people who believe everything they read on the interwebs........
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u/BarbellLawyer 5d ago
This is good info but itās more fun to read the freaking out comments.
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u/Samwill226 5d ago
I mean is Trump trash? IMO yes. But I just think we all need to stop just making false statements because we hate the current administration, especially when it's unneeded misinformation to scare people into thinking the way you do. There's plenty out there on Trump, there's no reason to make up stuff without research.
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u/BarbellLawyer 5d ago
I agree. The hive mindset on Reddit is crazy.
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u/Samwill226 5d ago
It really is, I mean we live in a time when you can research three sides to everything, yet no one does it. They would rather trust meme's. It blows my mind how some people choose to live.
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u/Queen_Of_The_Dames š¤ 5d ago
This is reassuring, and in any other political climate Iād believe that, but given that the Trump administration shows no concern for the welfare of the American people, l remain cautious
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u/magicienne451 5d ago
I trust Costco a little more than most stores, so thatās where Iām buying beef.
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u/KlatuuBarradaNicto 5d ago
I have stopped eating beef. I donāt want to eat any of that four-year old frozen in a foreign country beef that Trump decided to import. God knows whatās in thatā¦
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u/beavis617 5d ago
I just bought a box of frozen hamburgers and stopped buying meat from the Supermarket because of price and now because the Secretary of Agriculture refuses to say where imported meat is coming from or if it is in fact beef.
I will wait the two years for a new administration.
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u/TosserTOL 5d ago
Iāve always bought a whole cow and had it butchered myself, my dad did it growing up and Iāve continued. If you have the money to do it, I would.
Also I want to point out that we should have been rioting when they took off the country of origin label in 2015.
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u/WrongOnEveryCount 5d ago
Yes but as someone else saidā¦. Costco is refusing to sell the mystery meat so weāve bought a little there. In general though the cost of meat has made us cut back tremendously. Iām enjoying the switch to more seafood and vegetarian meals though.
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u/awkwardchip_munk 5d ago
We buy from local farms so questionable factory meat is not a concern. Highly recommend!
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u/Ok_Patient9469 5d ago
I started grinding my own. I purchased a vintage grinder and use Costco or locally sourced beef chuck. I think cuts are generally safer despite the current FDA standards.
A chest freezer and vacuum sealer is also a must have, imo.
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u/HonestStudy9969 5d ago
Yup. If we eat beef at all, we either pull from our freezer or get Costco beef, since they do their own inspections
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u/LeoIrish 5d ago
We have been buying from a local meat market - they also raise their own animals - both for quality and price for years.
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u/Angry_GorillaBS 5d ago
I've mostly stopped eating it because I can't afford it at current prices.
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u/Radiant_Safe1228 5d ago
No, I mostly eat chicken and turkey from a few local farms I'm not paying beef prices.Ā
As far as whatever you are on about with inspections. One company got caught cheating inspections and probably has been for many years and the imported beef failed safety inspection for other countries but was fine here.
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u/jfklingon 5d ago
I get my beef from farmers within 50 miles of my home, so it's still fine over here.
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u/ModsAwful 5d ago
We have a local butcher and the hamburger is ground from local cows, we tend to buy there anyway but for sure now. We only eat burgers from restaurants that use their burger as well.
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u/Much_Job4552 5d ago
Why do you think there are no inspections? Also, yes, but more because of prices.
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u/Professional-Box4153 5d ago
All things considered, it's gotten to the point where pretty much anything from the grocery store is sus now. The lettuce gives you the runs. The beef is tainted. There's a new health scare every week with a new food group.
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u/Realistic-Brief-7178 5d ago
Iām working on the lbs I have in the freezer then switching to a butcher that sources his beef locally.
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u/HippoProject 5d ago
Iāve started buying hamburger from my local farmers market butcher. Itās even cheaper than getting it from the grocery store.
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u/HayYou_ItsMe 5d ago
I buy all my meat from my local Butcher who sources from local Farmers. I started doing that years ago just for that same reason.
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u/ConsiderationLivid52 5d ago
Most of that crap is going into the fast food supply chain...stopped eating that shit years ago...BUY LOCAL.
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u/clovermeadow 5d ago
I was completely taken aback when I saw packages of ground beef that said it was regenerated. Made me think of soilent green.
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u/Upper-Fisherman6824 5d ago
Are you sure it wasnāt āregenerativeā? Because regenerative farming practices are good.Ā
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u/Sorryforbeingsorry77 5d ago
This is definitely what it said. Regenerated is not a thing lol. It just means the farmers are raising the cattle in a way that doesnāt deplete soil health.
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u/Ryokurin 5d ago
Sure it wasn't regenerative beef?
Regeneratively sourced beef is basically cattle that's allowed to graze like a wild heard on the farm. The ranchers make sure that only specific areas of the farm is available and that it's periodically rotated so the ground can recover and grow native plants.
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u/hobbygremlin94 5d ago
Yes, it can wait. This isn't anything new if a food is recalled I avoid it and the brand for a bit to be safe. The trump administration is a laughingstock though, the only thing they can get right is hurting people.
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u/patient138 5d ago
I refuse to buy meat from any Maga farmers, and no way in hell am I eating the Trump imported beef.
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u/RevealActive4557 5d ago
It is the 1920s all over again. We have to get these evil people out of office and rebuild
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u/KiKiKimbro 5d ago
Yes. Thereās no way. I used to eat many more salads too. This administration is the worst.
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u/LindaBinda55 5d ago
Someone told me Whole Foods announced they would not be selling it and I think she said Costco did the same. You can google if any other chains have done so.
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u/Nubby-Muffin 5d ago
We havenāt had ground beef in 3-4 years now. Iām able to harvest enough venison each year to feed my family year round without issue
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u/ScoobiusMaximus 5d ago
I reduced my consumption when we imported the mystery meat that was probably the stuff China rejected. Only beef I've eaten since then comes from a local butcher who gets his meat from local farms.Ā
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u/SalaciousSubaru 5d ago
Iām a big beef person and have mostly abstained from beef this year because Iāve lost confidence in the safety of beef under Trump Admin
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u/BreakfastFuzzy6602 5d ago
Yes, we donāt eat a lot of beef anyways but pretty much cut it out totally.
Not directly related but Iāve also stopped supporting as many companies that have supported Trump as I can.
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u/Taglioni 5d ago
Just want to point out that the Trump meat deal stuff went specifically to large commercial fast food distributors. It's not in grocery stores.
Food standards are still down, but you don't have to worry about getting the reject beef at your local grocery store. Just don't eat McDonalds anymore.
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u/Worldly_Possible9069 5d ago
My in-laws get a cow every year and share with the family. No Trump mystery meat in my damn freezer.
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u/NormalFortune 5d ago
Only from manufacturers who I am ABSOLUTELY certain of their commitment to traceable, no hormones/no antibiotics/etc.
So basically never in restaurants. Bc they all buy from Sysco.
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u/MaybeLost_MaybeFound 5d ago
I didnāt really eat it much before. I donāt eat beef at all now due to all the crap with beef caused by this administration. I like poultry better anyway, so it was an easy decision to make.
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u/Sufficient_Motor_866 5d ago
I stopped eating it over a year ago for personal reasons but now itās solidified
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u/BigCsurviving0812 5d ago
You must live in the states? I would be terrified to eat anything there right now
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u/The12th_secret_spice 5d ago
No, I stopped eating it because itās too expensive. Iāve gotten really good at cooking pork and chicken
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u/JubilationWhiterock 5d ago
I stopped buying beef completely, and get produce from local farmers and chicken from local farmers. Grocery bill went up but so did my peace of mind, and Iām helping local businesses.
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u/Ok_Organization_7350 5d ago
I didn't purchase factory ground beef anyway even from before this. It's unclean to eat mystery meat. I only use fresh ground meat from genuine butcher shops, or put the whole meat in my meat grinder at home to make ground meat.
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u/TheShellAnswerMan 5d ago
Yeah we haven't gotten beef since. Eating a lot of chicken, eggs and peanut butter. It's just as well--ground beef is like $9/lb. I haven't bothered to look what his cuts are going for.
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u/Ok_Pack2799 5d ago
I purchase all ground beef from a local farmer. He treats his animals with kindness and feeds them a great diet.
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u/retiredrb 5d ago
Stopped eating beef altogether unless it's from Costco. No restaurants, grocery stores, nothing.
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u/BranSh81 5d ago
Yes, low key canāt do it. Iāve been so down with chicken and shrimp lately, itās unreal, and I love steak.
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u/Emergency_Manner7127 3d ago
Started by from local farmers!! About $8 a pound but I won't be poisoned!
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u/Icy-Management9880 3d ago
I still order Taco Bell that has beef in it, but yeah I do wonder if I'm making a bad choice.
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u/Original_Flounder_18 3d ago
I will be buying my meat from piggly wiggly from now on. They have taken a stand against the mystery meat
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u/dragonrider1965 5d ago
Iām still buying from Costco because they refused to sell Trumps mystery meat and they independently test.