The grinding of beef has been traced back to ancient Egyptian soldiers mincing steak under their saddles. Of course, the Hamburg Steak or Hamburg Sausage, which included minced or shredded meat, seasoning and sometimes breadcrumbs, originated in Germany and is credited as the beginning of what became known as Salisbury steak and the precursor to ground beef. Today, many people still use ground beef and hamburger meat interchangeably when talking about raw, comminuted beef, which is one of the most popular and versatile of beef products.

Some of the common and easy-to-prepare ground beef meals include hamburgers, tacos, meatballs, lasagna, spaghetti with meat sauce, meatloaf, chili and using ground beef as a pizza topping. The affordability, ease and versatility of preparation contribute to ground beef’s popularity in both foodservice and at retail markets. Data collected by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) revealed that over 50% of consumers stored extra packages of ground beef in their freezers during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. The retail demand for ground beef remained high in 2021, and according to Information Resources Inc. (IRI), ground beef sales in 2021 totaled $11.9 billion. These data confirm that the beef industry has done a great job of identifying and meeting consumer demands for types of ground beef.

Cues from consumers

Although it is all labeled as “ground beef,” the number of choices in the ground beef section of the retail case might be considered slightly intimidating or overwhelming, because there is usually more than one type of ground beef in a case. For example, consumers may have to decide: (1) which lean-to-fat ratio to purchase, (2) if they want chubs, over-wrapped trays, bricks, or patties, (3) if they want ground chuck, ground sirloin, ground round, ground brisket, or ground beef, and (4) if they want ground beef from a branded program, or one that has a special claim, like natural.

We recently completed a multi-university, collaborative survey (funded, in part, by The Beef Checkoff) of ground beef in self-serve and full-service retail cases across 11 states to collect data on available lean-to-fat ratios, primal-specific grinds, packaging type, and brand claims. We purchased products and subsequently assessed quality characteristics like pH and color, as well as texture profiles and other sensory characteristics using compression and consumer sensory panels. The findings of the project will be published to provide a baseline for the beef industry to use to track changes in ground beef products over time and to help ensure that ground beef continues to meet or exceed consumer expectations. 

It is estimated that Americans eat approximately 50 billon burgers every year, and Chicago-based Technomic Inc., reported that burgers are eaten at home or foodservice establishments at least once per week by approximately 55% of consumers. According to Statista, McDonald’s leads sales for the top five burger restaurant chains, followed by Wendy’s, Burger King, Sonic Drive-In, and Jack in the Box. “Fast-casual” burger restaurants such as Smashburger, which serves a fresh, never frozen 100% Certified Angus Beef burger that is cooked by smashing a hand-packed ball of meat onto a hot seasoned grill or Hopdoddy, which grinds its proteins daily to create the classic ground beef burger and unique protein blends such as beef brisket, appeal to different consumer preferences.

One might ask, if ground beef is really that complex do we need all of these choices and options to meet consumer expectations? Ground beef is typically produced from fresh and/or frozen beef from trimmings, which are small pieces of lean and that come from a beef carcass as the carcass is fabricated into beef primals, subprimals, or individual steaks and roasts. USDA does have certain requirements for ground beef, such as the maximum fat content in any ground beef is 30% (70% lean), and no water, phosphates, binders, or other meat sources may be added and still be labeled as ground beef. Of course, there are additional requirements for primal specific ground beef, branding and nutritional claims. All of the information is clearly displayed on the label to allow consumers to make informed decisions about the ground beef that they are purchasing.

 Safety Matters

Unfortunately, ground beef has had its share of problems throughout the years, including being implicated in food safety illnesses and death, which resulted in USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) declaring E. coli O157:H7 as an adulterant in ground beef and raw beef intended for grinding in 1994, and later in 2012 declaring an additional six adulterants Shiga-toxin producing E. coli (STEC) serogroups – O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, and O145.

It is estimated that Americans eat about 50 billion burgers every year. (Source: Hopdoddy)

 

The beef industry takes food safety very seriously. Organizations like the International HACCP Alliance, the Beef Industry Food Safety Council, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the North American Meat Institute, the American Association of Meat Processors, and other trade associations have worked together throughout the years to educate consumers to cook ground beef to a minimum of 160° F; develop industry best practices for lotting, microbiological sampling and testing; fund food safety research; and identify actions to reduce pathogen contamination.

Ground beef may have started from humble beginnings, but now it is the center of multi-billion-dollar corporate enterprises. Ground beef is a major feature of fresh meat cases that are filled with a wide variety of choices. Countless cookbooks and online resources are filled with recipes and cooking tips that truly demonstrate its versatility. It also was the focus of one of the most iconic and memorable advertising campaigns of the last century, “Where’s the Beef?” Today, ground beef is everywhere bringing joy to all ages who simply love this product.