What's New

IN PACKAGING GROUND BEEF

Plastic Tray Packs: Some of these packaging types allow for longer storage times and are labelled with a "best before date" rather than the typical "packaged on date". Use the "best before date" as your guide to storage time. However, once the package is opened, handle the meat like fresh ground beef and use or freeze within one day.

Tube/Chub Pack: These packs are used for fresh or frozen ground beef. Use or freeze fresh meat chubs within a day OR, if there is a "best before date" on pack, use that as your guideline - once opened, freeze or use the meat within one day.

AT THE MARKETPLACE

Source Grinds are quality ground beef made from flavourful single cuts of beef and are not blended with other beef. Now available:

• Lean or Extra Lean Ground Round
• Lean or Extra Lean Ground Sirloin
• Lean Ground Chuck

Try Ground Chuck in your next batch of burgers - it's the food writers' choice for the best burgers.

Precooked Frozen Ground Beef is ground beef that has been cooked, drained and frozen. It's easy to add to your favourite sauces, casseroles and soups and makes for super simple short-cut meals. Also look for Fully Cooked Frozen Beef Burgers.

IN GROUND BEEF NUTRITION LABELLING

By December 2005, most packaged foods, including raw ground beef, will have a new mandatory Nutrition Facts table. This information will help you assess the nutritional value of foods and compare food products more easily. The Nutrition Facts table will list Calories and 13 key nutrients. Here is a sample of the Nutrition Facts table for packages of raw Lean Ground Beef. For more information on nutrition labelling, visit Health Canada.

IN ROAST BEEF

You may have noticed that many beef roasts are now wrapped with a form-fitted netting. The netting is made of an elasticized twine that can withstand oven and barbecue temperatures.

Netting beef roasts is a fairly new practice, replacing traditional butcher-string tying. It provides a more uniform oval shape to beef roasts which in turn helps roasts cook more evenly and slice easier. The overall result is simply a better roast!

For best results, leave the netting on while the roast cooks and then remove it before carving by snipping with kitchen shears.

IN THE HEALTH CHECK™ PROGRAM In addition to Lean and Extra Lean Ground Beef three new ground beef varieties have earned the Health Check™ symbol for being a healthy choice: Lean or Extra Lean Ground Round Lean or Extra Lean Ground Sirloin Lean Ground Chuck There are EIGHT cuts of beef that qualify for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's Health Check™ program. Health Check™ is an education program that identifies foods that are healthy choices based on Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating. † Choosing leaner meats (extra lean or lean) is part of healthy eating. † The Beef Information Centre financially supports the Health Check™ education program. This is not an endorsement. Visit HealthCheck.org.