Supermarket Mince

LG Regulation Report on Composition of Minced Beef

The Local Government Group media office issued the following press release warning Consumers face a lottery when it comes to buying minced beef with a low fat content, a councils trading standards and environmental health survey has found.

Misleading product descriptions and inaccurate labelling information are some of the concerning trends identified in a nationwide study co-ordinated by Local Government Regulation, part of the Local Government Group.

A report released on Monday 26 July shows there is encouraging evidence that the overall average fat content of minced beef is falling – down from 15.7% six years ago to 12.3% now.

But fat and gristle content of a particular type of minced beef can vary between retailers to such an extent that consumers face an impossible task understanding what they are buying. Health-conscious shoppers who buy minced beef described as 'lean' or 'extra lean' may in fact be eating a product that is more fatty than standard minced beef.

Consumers are also being let down by inaccurate product information labels, some of which massively understate the true amount of fat. Environmental health and trading standards officers analysed minced beef products from nine supermarket chains. The sample of products from Asda contained on average 27% more fat that was suggested on the label. At the other end of the spectrum, minced beef from Iceland had 10% less fat than advertised.

According to the survey, the best quality minced beef is sold at butchers' shops. Despite this, mince bought from a butcher's counter is more likely to have been cross-contaminated with small amounts of another type of meat.

LG Regulation is now calling for consistency in the naming of beef products and help and advice for shoppers to understand what they are buying.

Cllr Paul Bettison, Chairman of LG Regulation, said:
“When it comes to labelling minced beef, confusion reigns supreme. For a consumer to try to purchase a product with a specific fat content, the chances of them getting what they want are a bit of a lottery.
“Minced meat is one of the country's most popular food products. Yet the millions of people who eat it every week would no doubt be shocked to learn that a packet of lean steak mince may contain more fat than steak mince.”

The study analysed more than 500 samples and found that:
§ The overall fat content of minced beef varied massively, from the lowest at 1.8% to the highest at 33.6%.

§ There was significant variation within product categories. While some packets of 'lean minced beef' contained only 2.5% fat, others had ten times that amount.

§ Minced beef from supermarkets contained 67% more fat than the equivalent from butchers' shops.

§ Frozen minced beef contained 41% more fat and 24% more connective tissue than fresh minced beef.

§ 29% of minced beef samples from butchers' shops had traces of other meat in them – mainly pork.

LG Regulation is now calling for supermarkets to help consumers make healthier choices by giving clearer descriptions and more accurate information about their products.

They can be helped to do this by the Association of Public Analysts (APA) working alongside councils and industry to draw up new fat limit recommendations.

LG Regulation Chairman Cllr Paul Bettison added: “Potentially millions of shoppers are being let down by a lack of consistency in product descriptions and a lack of accuracy in labelling information.

“People have every right to expect that if they buy a packet labelled lean minced beef then that is exactly what should be inside. Lean should mean lean.”

Almost half of the 300,000 tonnes of beef consumed in the UK per year is sold as minced beef and the popularity of the low-cost food product has increased as families seek ways to tighten their belts during the economic downturn.

Additional Information

(1) The survey analysed 513 samples. They were purchased and tested by trading standards and environmental health officers from 61 local authorities. Products were bought from supermarkets, butchers and farm shops for analysis. They were sorted into the following product categories: minced beef, lean minced beef and extra lean minced beef; and minced steak, lean minced steak and extra lean minced steak.

(i) Average fat content by product type:

Product description

Number of samples / Average Fat content / % (range)
Minced beef 286 / 14.1% / (2.0 – 33.6)
Lean minced beef 39 / 12.0% / (2.5 – 25.9)
Extra lean minced beef 13 / 8.1% / (2.9 – 23.1)
Minced steak 112 / 9.8% /(1.8 – 23.8)
Lean minced steak 56 / 10.2% / (4.7 – 15.8)
Extra lean minced steak 7 / 6.0% /(4.0 – 9.6)

(ii) Fat content of 'minced beef' and labelling accuracy by supermarket, sorted by accuracy:

Supermarket Samples / Label accuracy / Average fat content in 'minced beef'

Asda 10 / 27% more fat than stated on label / 22.5%
Aldi 11 / 23% more fat / 18.1%
Netto 9 / 19% more fat / 20.5%
Morrisons 15 / 18% more fat / 22.1%
Lidl 14 / 13% more fat / 20.0%
Co-op 17 / 3% more fat / 19.9%
Tesco 20 / 2% more fat / 18.1%
Sainsbury's 13 / 4% less fat / 15.5%
Iceland 10 / 10% less fat 19.9%

(2) LG Regulation – formerly LACORS (Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services) – is the local government central body responsible for overseeing local authority regulatory and related services. These services range from protecting consumers against illegal doorstop selling to checking hygiene standards in restaurants and food factories to alcohol and public entertainment licensing.

SFMTA Comment:- In Scottish butchers shops by far the most popular purchase is Steak Mince. For years customers have debated the qualities of mince and make decisions on buying mince are based on past experience, appearance and price. A judgement on fat is included in the decision about where to buy.

The recent LG Regulation report merely confirms what we already know – the best place to buy quality mince is at your local butcher. This backs up the Food Standards Agency Survey on the fat content in lean minced beef in 2004 that showed that most Scottish butchers were making mince with less than 10% fat content.

It is disappointing to hear that some traces of other species were found in the surveyed beef mince. The report suggests this to be pork but in Scotland more likely we think, to be lamb. There is a possibility for this to happen as the same mincer might be used to mince both beef and lamb mince. If customers have a requirement for their mince to be 100% from a particular species then they should ask their butcher to mince this especially for them.

The last thing we need from this report is more regulations. Specification is not easy to define since the fat content of mince will vary depending on the particular muscle of beef used and the breed, sex and age of the animal being minced. Bull beef, for example, has a greater lean content that steer or heifer beef. Customers just need to make a point of shopping for their meat in butchers' shops.