Mechanically separated meat is not good for you

March 13, 2009   1 Comment

The stick of jerky photographed here is actually not beef. I was shocked to discover that I had purchased a stick of jerky made with pork and something called "mechanically separated chicken". Okayyy.

So I looked up "mechanically separated chicken", otherwise known as mechanically recovered meat (MRM). MRM is the meat that is left over on the carcass of the chicken after they remove the breast meat (and other cuts) for those cutlets we all enjoy. They pressure-blast the bones by machinery and form a slurry of meat (a meat milkshake).

I gotta say that is the most unappetizing thought, a meat milkshake. Yuck.

On the subject of beef jerky, I was hoping for a healthy snack. I mean, what can be wrong with dried beef? Well, first of all, if you want beef, make sure it is beef. Secondly, there seem to be many additives, preservatives, and flavorings that don't need to be in something as tasty as meat. Finally, it is a pretty calorific snack.

If you like jerky, go with the lowfat version Low Fat Beef Jerky. If you like meat, go with something else entirely.