Is it Canadian beef?

89% of Canadians want to buy beef from Canada – here is some guidance:

Look for this mark on packages of beef or look for a beef brand that includes your province or region in the name.

Just ask. Ask the staff at the meat counter – ‘Is your beef Canadian?’

If you see statements like ‘Product of Other Country’ then you know it’s NOT Canadian beef.

References of Canada Beef Quality Grades help you buy the beef you want.

Look for statements or grade mark stamp symbols for guidance about quality Canadian beef. Designations of national quality standards are assigned by a certified grader as an objective way to help with your purchase, whether you want the most marbling (Canada Prime) for enhanced juiciness, or less marbling for leaner premium cuts (Canada AA), or something in between (Canada AAA). The grade assigned helps you pick what you want.

Click here for more about Canada Beef Quality Grades

How to Read a Meat Label

Ever wondered what the information on the label of beef means?
There’s much to know! Here’s some guidance on the basics.
We like to call it, anatomy of a label.

See reference in text to the letters a, b, c, d and e.

So much info on this tiny sticker!

(a) The Name: This is the official beef cut name. The official name, tells you if the cut is a steak, roast, cubed beef or other type of cut or ground beef. The name also tells you where the cut comes from – whether shoulder, hip, loin – or in this example, the Blade area.

(b) FP stands for Finished Product – a meat processing term that means the Blade was cut into steaks.

(c) All beef sold in Canada is inspected for safety federally or provincially. This symbol designates that the beef was inspected at a federal plant, and the number is an identifier for the plant.

(d) Best Before date is guidance of when the beef is at its best quality. This date is a quality indicator. Ideally, cook or freeze beef before the Best Before Date.

Packaged On date is your guidance for when to cook or freeze your beef. For beef cuts, cook or freeze within 3 days of the Packaged On date or for ground beef, cook or freeze within 1 to 2 days of the Packaged On date.

Expiry date is when a food should be used for food safety guidance.

(e) Pricing matters: Pricing is based on a cost per weight – so if you compare the labels on packages of beef, you’ve got pricing options to choose from depending on the cut. For example, a tenderloin steak is typically more expensive per kg, than a sirloin tip steak. So watch for the cost advantage if you are looking to stretch your beef budget.

Net: this is net weight of the meat, typically in kg. (Note to convert to lb, multiply the kg weight by 2.2)
$/kg: this is the cost of the meat per kg weight
Total: This is the Net kg weight of the meat multiplied by the cost/kg – this is the cost at check out.

Did you know you can scan the UPC (a.k.a barcode), on a package of beef to learn how to cook it and get recipes? The Canadian Beef Information Gateway is a cool new tool to get access to information and recipe for over 70 cuts of beef. Try this right now:

The Canadian Beef Information Gateway
Click on the scan icon
Enable camera access
Scan the UPC (Barcode)

Beef Bargain Hunter Tip

Beef Bargain Hunter Tip: take advantage of discounted beef. Stores often put beef that’s close to Best Before dating on deep discount and this is your opportunity for big savings. Buy just what you need for use same day, or buy several packs to stock up your freezer for future use. OR cook up a big batch of ground beef, or a roast or steak and freeze for a short cut to super speedy meals. These deep discounts are often available on a Sunday or Monday morning in an effort to liquidate existing stock and make room for new inventory.

Cherry red colour even close to Best Before date

It’s not spoiled

A note on colour: Beef will lose its cherry-red colour and may look a bit brown or grey as it is exposed to oxygen, so if within dating, it’s not spoiled, it’s just not as pretty.

Browning due to oxygen exposure

Safe Food Handling Information helps you know how to manage fresh beef safely at home.

These basic instructions from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are helpful reminders of the safe food handling basics: Clean, Chill, Separate, Chill. For more detailed information on how to manage your beef safely at home, check out Food Safety at Home. Learn more

Mechanically tenderized what? Beef that carries this notation means that it has been treated in a way to optimize tenderness. Much like piercing a steak with a fork or using a meat mallet at home, the meat labelled mechanically tenderized has had the muscle fibres disrupted by piercing or cutting or other mechanical means. Beef that has been mechanically tenderized should be cooked to a doneness like you would ground beef – to medium doneness, 160°F (71°C).

Need more beef?
Join the Make it Beef Club!

Check out the
Canadian Beef
Information Gateway

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