READY-TO-EAT AND CHURNED MEAT

READY-TO-EAT AND CHURNED MEAT: DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU EAT

You have probably noticed this; the ready-to-eat offer has greatly evolved in recent years. If, in the not so distant past, it was rather utopian to associate ready-to-eat and nutritious meals, we can certainly say that this is now the case! This market has also caught your attention You are trying to combine work, family and leisure and you don't have time to cook But despite everything, you want to continue eating healthy A reality for many!s!

Although your curiosity is real, you may still be skeptical of the food industry. In reality, you have few benchmarks. What differentiates the frozen meal at $5 (sometimes less!) at the supermarket from the offer on the web, at $10 or $15 There can be many answers on this subject! Consider in particular the amount of protein or vegetables that make up the meals. But beyond the quantity, the quality of the ingredients remains a very important differentiating aspect. So what does this quality refer to in relation to the ingredients that make up ready-to-eat meals? In this article, I will shed light on one of its aspects: focus on meat quality and churning techniques.e.

What is churned meat

In order to fully understand what this is all about, let me refer you to your own experience. Have you ever bitten into a piece of chicken and had the impression that it was only an amalgam of pieces of fat, that it was reconstituted and unpleasant in the mouth? Or, again, that it reminded you of the texture of charcuterie If this is the case, you most likely consumed, at that time, a piece of churned chicken, of poor quality..

Churning is a process that involves tumbling pieces of meat in a tank with a liquid made up of different ingredients: water, salt, hydrolyzed soy protein, sugar, seasonings and additives. During this process, some of these inputs enter the meat. Over-churned meat will have a spongy texture and exude a whitish liquid when cooked.As you will have understood, the main reason for using this technique is to reduce costs.To this I add the conservation and flavor of food.

When developing a range of meals, the choice of inputs remains a crucial step. As for the quality of the meat, the choice is not limited to opting for unprocessed or churned meat. Indeed, there are several degrees of churning, and therefore, of quality. The more the meat is processed and contains additives and other ingredients, the less expensive it will be, which is directly reflected in the selling price.

Think about it! A chicken breast in the supermarket sells for around $2.30 per 100g, which is a reasonable amount of protein. To this, we must add the price of the other ingredients, namely the starch, the vegetables, the sauce and the other seasonings. Then add the packaging (tray, film, label, box), labor costs, delivery costs and so on. Impossible to offer a $5 meal with this quality of meat, you will agree!

Effects of treatments on the nutritional value of products

On the market, the protein content of churned meats varies between 14% and 21%. By way of comparison, pork is made up of approximately 24% meat protein, 70% water and 6% fat, nerves and mineral salts. The difference in protein between the processed product and the unprocessed product is explained by the additions made during manufacturing, which decrease their protein content. In addition, these treatments greatly increase the sodium content of meats. For example, once churned, meats are up to seven times saltier, hence the importance of observing this value in the Nutrition Facts table.

The advantage of selling online

And yes, you will have understood it! Thanks to online sales, it is now possible to define our own quality criteria and offer products of choice to consumers. Recently, I launched my brand new range of fresh ready-to-eat meals, available exclusively on my online store. For the latter, the quality of ingredients and nutritional value was my number 1 priority, as always! Needless to say, churning wasn't among the options. In the latter, you will enjoy choice ingredients, as if you had cooked them at home.

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