Why Whole Foods Ground Beef Is A Cut Above The Rest

There's a lot you might not know about Whole Foods, the supermarket chain that has earned the nickname "Whole Paycheck" (though its store brand, 365, is competitively priced). For example, did you know that most of the world's cheese professionals start at the company? But what you are surely aware of are the company's quality standards, which are applied consistently across all of its products to give customers the most wholesome and sustainably sourced foods possible. Nowhere is this more true than in its meat department, particularly where its ground beef is concerned. This is because, while most mass-produced ground beef can include a mash-up from over 100 cows thereby increasing the contamination risk, Whole Foods' ground beef arrives at its meat department, once-ground in chub packages, with all the beef in that particular package from a single cow.

The beef is then ground again for aesthetic purposes by the stores' in-house butchers before getting placed in the display case. This is a departure from its previous practice of instead grinding down the trimmings from cuts of steak, but because the beef is still derived from one animal, it is no less safe (and no less tasty, either).

Unlike Aldi, which doesn't even have a dedicated meat department in stores, Whole Foods has gone all-in with its in-house butchers, providing a superior experience for shoppers looking to buy humanely raised and farmed meat. Did you know you could request freshly ground beef? If you don't like the looks of anything in its case, or you want a specific meat-to-fat ratio or a specific cut of beef, one of the staff butchers will grind it on the fly for you. In that same vein, the Whole Foods butchers are — naturally — pros at cutting down all meats, so if you want a specific cut of steak or pork or chicken, just ask, and they'll slice it right up for you.

If you're worried about your meat making it home without spoiling (especially on super-warm days), you can also ask your butcher to package it in an ice-filled plastic bag to keep it cold for a long, hot drive back to your abode. Finally, if you're unsure of something — what a specific cut means, how much you'll need for 10 people, how to prepare it, etc. — let the Whole Foods butchers be a resource. They're not only experts at breaking down meat, they're highly knowledgeable about all aspects of it. And they're happy to help you by imparting their wisdom, gained from years of experience.