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health guides

Beef Mince

Also indexed as:Ground Round, Hamburger
Beef Mince: Main Image

Buying Tips

Ground beef should have a bright red colour and be free of grey or brown patches. Beef normally has a purple-red colour but takes on a cherry-red hue, known as the “bloom,” when exposed to oxygen. While the exterior is bright red, the interior of the meat retains the darker colour. Vacuum-packed beef also shows this purplish colour. With lengthy exposure to oxygen, ground beef will turn brown. This is a sign that the beef is no longer fresh and needs to be used immediately. Check the label for fat content and the “sell-by” date. The label may also tell you which part of the animal the hamburger comes from, for instance, the round or chuck. For the leanest possible beef, buy a lean cut of meat and ask your butcher to trim the fat and grind it for you.

Varieties

Beef mince comes mostly from the chuck, sirloin, and round, though the taste depends more on the amount of fat than on the cut of origin. The fat content of beef mince varies, so it’s important to check the label for this information. A higher fat content makes for a juicy hamburger. For a casserole, where the hamburger is cooked and the fat poured off, a lower-fat beef mince might be a better choice.

Regular beef mince usually contains 25% fat by weight.

Lean and extra-lean beef mince usually contains 5 to 10% fat by weight.

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2024.