Food Shopping puzzle, just for fun.

[Glenda]

                                    Have you ever weighed the tray you bought meat in?  I bought a tray of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that weighed 4.4 pounds and cost $8.80.  The  empty tray with the water saturated soggy cotten pad in the bottom, weighed exactly one pound.  All the trays at the grocery in that cabinet were the same size but some cost about $8.  and some $10. or more  and all were $1.99 a pound.  Next time instead of buying the $8.80 package I'm going to try the most expensive  package and see if it has the same pound of water and more meat.  What do you think?  

.................My daughter suggested buying frozen chicken that MIGHT  have less water ????

[emili]

I am pretty sure they weigh the chicken or meat before packaging so I am not really sure what you are getting at. Sorry.

[USAF-Larry]

@Glenda, on the label it should tell you the net weight of the chicken in the package, which does not include the packaging. The reason the packages are priced differently is because they have different net weight of chicken.

[Glenda]

                                   USAF Larry,  You are right, it does say net weight on the tag.  Next time I will weigh the whole package,  and then just the empty tray and see if the net weight doesn't include the water.   I have noticed on some packages there is a note about their being 15% broth or some crazy thing (maybe on frozen turkey) but I'm pretty sure they are including that water.  It will be interesting to see if you are right.  I woud be happy if you are, but they put so much water in there I'm not at all hopeful.  There has to be a reason for that.  What would it be?

[Glenda]

                             USAF   Larry,  You really made me think.  I thought I had really been foolish but I finally found "FDA laws for Net weight  @ small business.chron.com which said:

"Laws on Net Quanity:  The net quanity of contents is a statement on the label that shows the net weight of food in a package.  Only the weight of the food not the container or wrapper.  However any water or other liquid added or propellant used in an aerosol CAN  be included in the net weight.  This statement must be distinct & must be placed in the lower 30% of the principal display panel." !!!  I saw some pictures of trays with that note very visible but I surely didn't notice it on the package I bought.   Some of those trays of meat slosh with water too.  Maybe every one thinks they are not paying for that water?

[USAF-Larry]

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@Glenda wrote:

 Maybe every one thinks they are not paying for that water?

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@Glenda, for many years, back to the 70's, the USDA has allowed water to be added to meats, and it is added to the "net weight" of the package.  If you look at a cured ham you will see a label that says, "May contain up to 12% water."  They don't mean it "may contain" water, they mean "it does contain" water.  Same with chicken, turkey, etc., etc., etc.

[Glenda]

USAF Larry, So, I don't want to pay $1.99 for a pound of water. Back to my original question.......do you think I would get more meat and less water in the heavy package next time? I'm going to try that. Often the water is sloshing around in there not actually part of the meat. Disgusting

[USAF-Larry · Accepted solution]

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@Glenda wrote:
Back to my original question.......do you think I would get more meat and less water in the heavy package next time?

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The simple answer is Yes. 

Recently bought a package of chicken breasts at Sam's Club. They receive them frozen, and then they put them out in a refrigerator case, where they begin thawing out. The package I picked out had a net weight of 6#3oz, and the label said "May contain up to 10% water added". So, that package contained about 10oz of water.  There was another package that had thawed more, and had more water visible instead of ice, and it had a net weight of 5#12oz. That package would have about 9oz of water.  Digusting? Yes.  But, it is legal? Yes.   Would I have paid $1.81 a pound for just water if it weren't in the chicken? Nope.  But, could I buy the chicken without the water? Nope.

[Glenda]

USAF Larry, Chicken with bones and skin costs only half as much so the water in those packages only costs 1/2 as much too. Maybe a better deal.

[USAF-Larry]

Yep, might be a better deal, @Glenda.  I don't eat the bones or skin, either, so I don't buy them. I also don't buy bone-in ham, since I don't eat the bone. So, you have to weigh what are the best options for you...