Meat: Where Lean and Fat Get Together

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I overheard a female customer ask the meat counter assistant which beef roast would be the most lean.  The customer was a trim figure in athletic attire, and a young girl (presumably her daughter) loitered by the shopping cart.  This customer embodied the ever-more health conscious consumer eager to provide the most nutritious food for her family.  However, the public is often bombarded with vague or contradictory statements about food (“Beef is bad,” “Eggs are good,” “Beef is good,” “Eggs are bad,” “Chia seeds and acai berries!”), making purchasing decisions difficult.  Fortunately, nutrition labels and ingredient statements on processed foods can allow shoppers to make comparisons and choices that fit their health needs.  But for many raw foods such as meats, fruits, and vegetables, the nutrient information is often not displayed.  This can lead to questions like that of the aforementioned customer. This post of Meat Salads offers some clarification on the types and amounts of fat found in different fresh meats.

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood concepts of food composition is “fat.”  The word is heavy with negative connotation, but without fat in the diet, humans and animals would fare very poorly.  After all, dietary fat facilitates the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K; allows for the formation and function of skin, brain, and nervous tissues; encourages the feeling of satiety, and enhances the flavor, aroma, and texture of food (Meat Poultry Nutrition, 2013).  Still, overconsumption of fat can be detrimental for human health, so limiting fat intake to only 20-35% of total daily calories is recommended for almost everyone (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012a).  Also, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommends further that calories from saturated fat constitute only 10% of total daily calories (CDC, 2012a).  Saturated fat and its counterpart, unsaturated fat, exist in animal muscles in different ratios depending on the species and muscle function/location.  This means different types of meat will have various levels of saturated and unsaturated fat.  Table 1 gives a simplified explanation of the two fat types, and Table 2, with data from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 26, gives examples of how fat differs among fresh meats.

 

Table 1: A simplified explanation of saturated and unsaturated fats (fatty acids).  Saturated fatty acids are more often used for energy storage and insulation whereas unsaturated fatty acids are used for cell membrane structure, signaling molecules, and other functions.

Fat Type	Definition‡	Diagram‡
Saturated	Every carbon atom in the hydrocarbon chain is bound to as many hydrogen atoms as possible.  The fat has a rigid structure at room temperature.
Unsaturated	At least two carbon atoms in the hydrocarbon chain are not bound to as many hydrogen atoms as possible.  At least 1 double bond (circled in illustration) is present.  The fat has a fluid structure at room temperature.  When only 1 double bond is present, the fat is “monounsaturated.”  When 2 or more double bonds are present, the fat is “polyunsaturated.”

‡ Carnegie Mellon University, 2006

Table 2: A comparison of meat from beef, pork, poultry, eggs, and fish.  Meat will vary in saturated and unsaturated fats depending on the species and muscle of origin.

Species	Cut*	Saturated fat (g/100 g meat)^	Monounsaturated fat (g/100 g meat)^	Polyunsaturated fat (g/100 g meat)^
Beef	Chuck pot roast (1/8” exterior fat)	7.254	7.697	0.684
Beef	Top blade steak (0” exterior fat)	2.817	3.409	0.389
Beef	Strip steak (1/8” exterior fat)	2.100	2.545	0.208
Beef	Tenderloin roast (0” exterior fat)	2.363	2.578	0.454
Beef	Brisket flat half (1/8” exterior fat)	8.951	9.498	0.844
Beef	Flank steak (0” exterior fat)	2.978	2.924	0.277
Pork	Shoulder	4.140	5.367	2.474
Pork	Loin chops	2.450	2.985	0.878
Pork	Cured ham steak	1.440	1.960	0.470
Chicken	Breast (skinless)	0.479	0.586	0.360
Chicken	Thigh (skinless)	0.932	1.272	0.799
Turkey	Breast (skinless)	0.344	0.284	0.355
Turkey	Thigh (skinless)	0.782	0.749	0.722
Egg	Large, whole	1.563	1.829	0.956
Salmon	Atlantic, wild	0.981	2.103	2.539

*Except for the cured ham steak, the given values are for the raw meat servings.

^All values are presented as “g fat/100 g meat” except for the egg (g fat/50 g).

From Table 2, differences in fat content among species and cuts are clearly seen.  Since the CDC recommends limiting fat, especially saturated fat, intake, the values listed above might not be so welcoming for beef fans.  However, the CDC also reports that saturated fat intake can be lowered when customers choose beef cuts with less marbling and then trim all visible fat from the outside of a cut (CDC, 2012b).  Marbling refers to the amount of intramuscular fat (the white flecks or specks) visible in meat.  As Figure 1 below shows, meat can be heavily laced with intramuscular fat or essentially devoid of it.  While more marbling is appropriate for a very indulgent filet mignon at a steakhouse, less marbling is more appropriate for cuts eaten more frequently at home, especially if limiting saturated fat intake is part of your lifestyle.

 

Figure 1: Marbling in cuts of fresh beef.  “Marbling” can be used to give beef a quality grade.  To limit saturated fat intake, consumers should pick cuts with the least amount of marbling that will still allow for a successful cooking and eating experience (Good, 2008).

Just like the lady at the meat counter, more and more people want to know the advantages and disadvantages of foods to make better choices for themselves and their families.  Though following the CDC’s recommendation of limiting fat calories to 20-35% of total daily calories is key to avoiding many health problems, not all foods in the grocery store come with nutrition labels that declare their fat content.  However, having a basic understanding of saturated and unsaturated fats, comparing values from the USDA National Nutrient Database, and being able to differentiate leaner cuts from those with more fat will enable consumers to buy a wide range of meats for all needs, tastes, and occasions.  Remember: variety is key.  Enjoy salmon, eggs, chicken, turkey, shrimp, pork, beef, lamb, and other meats to experience a multitude of flavors while providing your body with essential nutrients.

*To explore more foods and their nutrients, explore the Database by clicking here.*

References
 

Carnegie Mellon University (2006).  Department of Biological Sciences: Interactive Animations.  Retrieved from http://telstar.ote.cmu.edu/biology/MembranePage/index2.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012a).  Dietary Fat.  Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012b).  Saturated Fat.  Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/fat/saturatedfat.html

Good, C. (2008).  Beef Grades.  Retrieved from http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/1279/beef-grades

Meat Poultry Nutrition (2013).  Skinny on Dietary Fat.  Retrieved from http://www.meatpoultrynutrition.org/ht/d/sp/i/26061/pid/26061.

USDA (NA).  National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 26.  Retrieved from http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

 

 

 

 

Don't Fear the Burger

Earlier today I was helping a professor trim beef cuts for customers that buy meat from our university.  As I was trimming the cuts, I wished our facility had the equipment and procedures for making lean finely textured beef (LFTB).  I did not have the time nor skill to remove every little piece of lean meat from the trimmings, so this meat (full of protein, minerals, and other nutrients) went unused.  However, the process for making LFTB is able to salvage that wholesome meat by separating it from the fat to which it is attached.  Unfortunately, this protein-saving innovation has come under fire since 2012 when ABC World News Tonight called LFTB a “filler” that was not necessarily meat (Flynn, 2012).  Most ground beef that included LFTB in its formulation was not labeled as such, and many consumers saw this as a breach of trust between themselves and producers.  A debate over whether LFTB should be added to ground beef and/or labeled as an ingredient ensued.

 

How fitting it was, then, when I later read on Meat & Poultry’s website that Cargill has announced its decision to label its ground beef products containing finely textured beef (FTB) with the phrase “contains finely textured beef” prior to the grilling season of 2014 (Meat & Poultry staff, 2013).  Further investigation on Cargill’s website revealed that Cargill Beef’s president John Keating believes the labeling will allay fears and concerns of consumers that desire more transparency in the meat industry (Cargill, 2013a).  Cargill has made FTB since 1993 with the approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Cargill, 2013a), and hopefully the labeling will regain consumer approval of the FTB.  While FTB and LFTB are produced in slightly different ways, the main concept of separating otherwise wasted lean meat from fat is utilized to make both products (American Meat Institute (AMI), 2013).  A three-minute, comprehensive video made by Cargill explains the process and its benefits; you can follow this link to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQVXeUNDedo (Cargill, 2013b).

 

In addition to providing consumers with a nutritious whole-beef product, producers of LFTB and FTB are simply following the adage “Waste not, want not.”  According to the American Meat Institute, if L/FTB is not utilized, 1.5 million extra cattle would need to be raised for the current demand on ground beef to be met (AMI, 2013).  When more cattle are raised, more pressure is put on land, water, and other resources that are growing more limited in availability.  When FTB is made, an additional 25 pounds of quality beef can come from every animal, thereby reducing the cost of the beef for consumers (Cargill, 2013b).  Keeping the cost of ground beef low will allow more people to enjoy the nutrition and taste of beef on a regular basis.

 

So even though winter is knocking at our doors, next year’s grilling season will be here before you know it.  When you shop for patties or ground beef for your first cook-out, look for products labeled with “contains finely textured beef.”  These products are 100% beef, completely wholesome, and beneficial for producers and consumers alike.   And, please, don’t say they contain “p*nk sl*me.”  Thank you.

 

References

American Meat Institute.  (2013, August).  Questions and Answers about Lean Finely Textured Beef.  Retrieved from http://www.meatami.com/ht/d/sp/i/286/pid/286

Cargill.  (2013a, November 5).  Cargill Announces New Labeling for Finely Textured Beef.  Retrieved from http://www.cargill.com/news/releases/2013/NA3080930.jsp

Cargill.  (2013b).  Ground Beef Answers.  Retrieved from http://www.groundbeefanswers.com/

Flynn, D. (2012).  BPI ground beef gets support from food safety leaders.  Food Safety News.

Meat & Poultry staff.  (2013, November 5).  Cargill to Label ‘Finely Textured Beef.  Retrieved from http://www.meatpoultry.com/articles/news_home/Business/2013/11/Cargill_to_label_finely_textur.aspx?ID=%7B57D409DF-409D-447A-A342-B4F8E36842EB%7D&cck=1

Hamburger picture from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/perfect-grilled-burgers-recipe/index.html