Big test of minced meat: be careful when grilling, a third did not comply with the regulations

However, the analysis of meat content brought worse results. “It’s easy with minced meat, because it only contains meat without other ingredients. Minced meat sold as a semi-finished product may already contain something extra, but the producer must comply with all declarations on the packaging. Therefore, semi-finished products are tested similarly to meat products and their meat content is monitored, which must agree with the information on the label, ”explains dTest.

The values ​​measured in laboratory tests were compared by experts with the data provided by the manufacturers on the labels. Laboratory tests revealed the lowest ever share of meat in the beef semi-finished product Bill / Vocílka Beef minced special. “Most of the products passed this test without major defects, we found the only serious problem with the above-mentioned Bill / Vocílek semi-finished product. According to the label, it should have contained 95 percent beef, which, however, the 84 percent found did not approach even after adding the 10% measurement uncertainty, “says Hana Hoffmannová, editor-in-chief of dTest magazine.

The Bill / Vocílka semi-finished product therefore earned an insufficient mark for misleading consumers.

Collagen and fat

According to the dTest, an important parameter is the percentage of collagen in the total protein content, which expresses the amount of tendons, skin or cartilage in the product. “The lower the collagen ratio, the more perfectly the meat was used by the manufacturer. At the same time, it is an important parameter of the quality of minced meat. The detected ratio of collagen in proteins in pure beef ranged from 6.1 to 16.2 percent, “explains dTest, adding that the upper limit of measured values ​​already exceeds legal quality requirements.

An indication of the fatness of the meat is also essential. The European Union regulation states that ground beef should not contain more than 20 percent and a mixture of beef and pork more than 30 percent fat. “Beef itself is naturally leaner. On average, the fat content in the tested products was around 10.5 percent. Unfortunately, we encountered two problems with ground beef with exceeding the values ​​declared on the packaging. Tesco products Minced beef and Albert’s quality Beef minced product both contained 11.8 percent fat, although they declared 9.4 percent and 8.7 percent, respectively, “says Hana Hoffmannová.

The tests did not detect dangerous bacteria

The microbiological purity of minced meat is also important. “On the last day of shelf life, the laboratory was interested in the (non) presence of dangerous listeria, salmonella, total microbes and Escherichia coli. No listeria or salmonella were found in any of the samples at all. The total numbers of microbes and escherichiasis were also checked. There was no cause for concern in their case either, “says dTest.

The inspection also noticed the ingredients listed on the packaging of individual products. While minced meat is not usually formulated, semi-finished products usually use a range of ingredients. “Perhaps too varied in the composition was indicated by the labels of Albert’s quality beef and mixed semi-finished products. In each of them we found three of the components we monitored, which brought them the most significant point loss. The common feature was the addition of dried beets, which probably serves to improve the color, “concludes Hana Hoffmannová.

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