Do you buy beef that’s already tenderized? Why it matters...

Has the beef you’re buying already been tenderized? 

The Federal Safety Inspection Service, or FSIS, says it really should be labelled as such. They want to slap “mechanically tenderized” on beef products on meats which have been through the tenderization process. Commercially, needles and blades are used to make the meat more appealing, and some have been injected with a marinade or solution. 

Safety experts are concerned that meat which has been penetrated by needles or blades have potentially had bacteria injected well below the surface where it’s harder to kill. These meats should be cooked at specified temperatures and times and labelling would help give consumers the heads-up.