Woolworths Australia customers feel ‘cheated’ by little-known detail on popular beef buy

Woolworths customers feel ‘cheated’ by little-known details about popular beef buys

  • Woolworths customer upset by ‘moisture-soaked’ meat purchase
  • Meat is salted for extra juiciness and tenderness

A customer was furious after seeing an easy-to-miss detail on his favorite grocery store food purchase.

The Woolworths customer recently sparked controversy after revealing that the supermarket chain’s popular Beef Topside Roast was “soaked in moisture.”

The label stated that the meat was “lightly infused for juiciness and tenderness.”

However, the foodie was immediately distraught at the sight after spending $18/kg.

“Woolies now proudly display that they fill their beef with water,” the man said. “They really think we’re idiots right now.”

A customer was furious after seeing an easy-to-miss detail on his favorite supermarket purchase

He posted a picture of the beef on Reddit, which caused many meat lovers to come to blows over “infused” foods.

Some customers accused the supermarket chain of inflating the meat with salt water to drive up the price.

“My main concern is paying meat prices for water/brine,” said one customer. “I hope that will be taken into account in the pricing.”

“It is fraudulent if it is injected with more salt water or similar liquids than is needed for storage because it is to increase weight and gain more gains,” said another.

Some customers shared bad experiences with similar ‘moisture-soaked’ meats.

“I bought chicken thighs from the Woolies deli and it was so horrible and watery,” one man recalled. “I suspect it may have been frozen at some point — I’ve never had chicken from the packaged section that bad.”

Another said, “Moisture drenched my a**, more like water injected.” About 30 percent of the weight will be water. Just like their chicken fillet.’

What is ‘brining’ meat?

In food processing, brining is the treatment of meat with brine or coarse salt to preserve and flavor the food while enhancing its tenderness and flavor.

It is typical to use herbs, spices, sugar, caramel and vinegar during brining.

The process usually takes 24 hours and is similar to ‘pickling’ fruit and vegetables.

Brining is also similar to marinating, but it does not contain a significant amount of acid, such as lemon juice.

Poultry breasts, pork chops, shrimp and turkey are often pickled.

But others defended butchers, claiming that brining meat was a common practice.

“I work in a pork processing plant and there are a handful of products that are set aside for fluid infusion,” a professional revealed.

“It’s the same mix they use to make bacon, ham and cooked sausages like Frankfurts, Viennas and Cabanossi,” said another.

‘And even cured meats such as salami and prosciutto/serrano. The only difference is that you see it before it is cooked here,’ the meat lover further explained.

Another commented, “Injecting meat with brine makes it moist and tasty. It’s a traditional barbecue/smoking technique.’

A spokesperson for Woolworths revealed that beef topside roasts taste great when cooked correctly, but can dry out if you’re not careful.

This roast is infused with a small amount of brine to make it a little easier for the home cook to perfect.

‘The range has been developed by our in-house chefs and customer feedback on the quality of the product has been positive so far.

“We understand that the range may not appeal to everyone, so we will continue to stock traditional roast beef in our stores as well,” they told FEMAIL.