A supermarket has spoken out after being accused of using ‘meat glue’ in its steaks.
“Meat glue,” also known as transglutaminase, is a controversial food additive that is sometimes used to bind together smaller pieces of meat to create the appearance of a single, whole cut.
While it is considered safe for consumption in small amounts, many argue that its use constitutes deceptive labeling, as consumers are not always aware they are purchasing a reconstituted product. The latest claims have left shoppers feeling misled and concerned about the integrity of the meat they are buying.
Some TikTokers have descended down a rabbit hole – or should I say cow hole, although that seemingly takes on a whole new and much more sinister insinuation – spiralling over the state of Woolworths’ steaks. Vegetarians and vegans, you may want to look away now:
The panic? That the supermarket is using ‘meat glue’ to compound its pieces of red meat together.
One TikToker took to the platform to really interrogate the state of two steaks from the supermarket giant, using his hands to pull at the bits of meat and seemingly expose the ‘meat glue’.
He can be heard saying: “See that s**t there. That’s glue. […] And this basically when you cut it, see with this one you just pull it a little bit and certain parts come out in sections.”
Poking at one part of the steak he adds: “This might be a solid piece, but they’ve glued it here.”
And it’s not taken long for people to descend to social media to weigh in.
A Reddit user u/Next-End-4696 took to r/perth to question whether Woolworths uses meat glue on its ‘fillet steaks’ too.
However, others quickly combatted the claims, one TikToker saying: “That’s not glue. It’s connective tissue and fat. With glue the striations in the meat would go in diff directions.”
“Meat glue doesn’t stretch out like that,” another added.
But what really is ‘meat glue’ and is it as bad as it sounds?
A spokesperson from Woolworths told News.com.au: “We pride ourselves on providing high quality meat to our customers and we can confirm our steaks are whole muscle.
“Eye fillet steak is a very lean cut of meat with minimal connective tissue which is what makes it so tender.
“This is why it is easy to pull apart when pressure is applied.”