A Warning About Ground Beef Ground In Store At Meijer

[motheroftwins2010]

My son and i got glutened by Laura's vegitarian fed ground beef because it was ground or reground in the meijer store and was either cross contaminated or had filler added. I called the store they confirmed they grind the beef at the store and had no clue what gluten was nor were they concerned about it. I then called Laura's headquarters to find out that they are owned by meijer and that cross contamination happens in the store and to be safe i should buy the prepackaged kind since its guaranteed gluten free. She told me the meijer meat counter workers dont always care or understand! Normally i only shop at whole foods and this has never happened but yeah lesson learned the hard way. I hope to keep someone else from enduring this painful mistake. I am very sensitive to trace cross contamination so i dont know if filler was added or it was just ground on a contaminated machine but my suspicions say filler was added since my son who has ncgs reacted and this is the worse glutening i have ever had.

[ravenwoodglass]

Sorry this happened to you. Are you sure it couldn't have been anything other than the ground beef? Reactions can be delayed so it might be something you had earlier in the day or even the week.

CC happens but it is illegal for a company to add fillers without disclosing them. So if it was the ground beef it was CC and not a filler. The usual filler for ground beef is also usually soy and that will be disclosed.

Do be sure that you have done all you need to do in your kitchen to be safe. I say this because you are new and I don't know if you are also new to the diet as well as the board. If you haven't already be sure to read the Celiac 101 thread.

I hope you are both feeling better soon.

[motheroftwins2010]

I am 100% sure it was the beef. The HQ even agreed cross contamination with gluten in the store happens. My house and family is 100% gluten, dairy, seafoof, and pineapple free due to food allergies. When i was diagnosed we tossed all appliances, cookware, utensils, spices, food, and tupperware in addition to personal items and anything remotely questionable. I eat a naked gluten free diet and my reactions are delayex 6-12 hours 12 if i go to sleep right after the contact. When i called Lauras beef hq which is actually meijer hq she told me that cross contamination happens because they cook a lot of stuff back there and sometimes they grind their own beef on site at meijer and I quote, " they are minimum wage workers that might not understand or care." I was told that the prepackaged Laura's beef that is not on the styrofoam trays is verified gluten free. I was shocked at the response. It may not have been fillers it may have just been an improperly cleaned machine but the response told me it was not the first complaint they've received about this.

[kareng]

Wow! Your store must have a filthy meat department. Where I live, you aren't allowed to cook anything near the raw meat and where they cut and grind it. They scrub the tables and the floors constantly. You might think about reporting it to the local health department. And if it is store policy to mishandle the meat, maybe report to the USDA?

Edited: I keep thinking about this. How could a store admit that they cc baked goods, soups, coleslaw, etc with raw meat juices? They must be making a lot of people very sick. I would think the health department would notice.

[ravenwoodglass]

If the store is very open I could see how flour could float into and contaminate the meat. It is too bad the HQ can't bother to at least try to educate the workers.

At my local Wegmans I went to buy some fresh shrimp one day and found it beside items that were breaded. One short polite conversation with the meat dept manager and the next time I went in the shrimp had been placed in a different display case and only items that were breaded on site were in the case the shrimp had been in.

Have you talked to the store manager about this issue. They are more likely to be helpful than someone at their main headquarters. Employees may be taking short cuts by not cleaning the grinder, which by health dept regs (if I am not mistaken), needs to be cleaned before a different food item is put through it. At the very least they need to post CC warnings so people with food allergies are aware of the risk.

I would let the manager know why I would not be shopping there any more and perhaps make a call to the local health dept. An inspection should done not just for the sake of those with allergies but for everyones safety. It doesn't take that much to educate your employees and if they don't respond to that education employees who will should be hired. Using minimum wage workers is not an good excuse for not training them properly.

[w8in4dave]

I noticed at Kroger they have stuffed pork chops and seasoned chops right next to the plain cut pork chops. I opted to get the other brand that was away from those. My friend asked me why I was getting those instead of the other ones. I said well those are right up against the stuffed ones and if you look you can see some are touching.  She was like ohhhhhhhh yea your right! I was going to say something, maby talk to the manager. But they were busy. Makes me wonder if I want to buy from the meat counter and just get the cut and wrapped ones. 

[LauraTX]

Generally any place with a meat counter, if they have breaded items out I will not buy anything that is in there.  Usually they have more in the back or can cut you more from their stock in the back.  Just ask.

[kareng]

Generally any place with a meat counter, if they have breaded items out I will not buy anything that is in there.  Usually they have more in the back or can cut you more from their stock in the back.  Just ask.

That is a different thing and that makes sense. I can't believe a grocery would be allowed to cook things behind the meat counter, where they cut meat. If they are doing that, I think they need to be reported.

[motheroftwins2010]

It is a gross store the gluten free isle is in the same isle as the four bags and usually has exploded flour all over the floor its a nightmare and i think giving the health department a call is an excellent idea. I usually only buy my kids gluten free school snack cracker things there. That was the 1st and LAST time I will ever buy meat there. I saw the prepared meat behind the counter with bread crumbs and stuff so I asked where the grass fed beef was they sent me to the case and the closest thing there was laura's vegitarian fed. Thats where the problem comes in i did not know Laura's beef was ground in the meijer store because i didnt know meijer owned Lauras beef. The HQ told me the possibility of cross contamination was present, not the store. The store had no clue what i was talking about when i asked about gluten or they played stupid so i called lauras beef which is actually meijer. This was not even meat behind the counter it was wrapped in plastic wrap on one of those meat trays in the case. I have never had this problem at whole foods its just our closet whole foods is still under construction and the next closest is 30 mies away, and i didnt have time to drive 30 miles for beef so i went to meijer. HQ did tell me the sealed and Laura's branded ground beef that does not have the tray and is vaccum sealed is certified gluten free.

Ps sorry for misspellings im using a tablet and it driving me bonkers.

[Dee.ells]

My son and i got glutened by Laura's vegitarian fed ground beef because it was ground or reground in the meijer store and was either cross contaminated or had filler added. I called the store they confirmed they grind the beef at the store and had no clue what gluten was nor were they concerned about it. I then called Laura's headquarters to find out that they are owned by meijer and that cross contamination happens in the store and to be safe i should buy the prepackaged kind since its guaranteed gluten free. She told me the meijer meat counter workers dont always care or understand! Normally i only shop at whole foods and this has never happened but yeah lesson learned the hard way. I hope to keep someone else from enduring this painful mistake. I am very sensitive to trace cross contamination so i dont know if filler was added or it was just ground on a contaminated machine but my suspicions say filler was added since my son who has ncgs reacted and this is the worse glutening i have ever had.

Considering gluten is a protein found in wheat and Laura's lean is a 92% lean ground beef that is both packaged from Laura's Lean along with being carefully grounded at most Meijer stores. I'm also sure there was confusion surrounding a wheat protein being found in any meat product when contacting a meat department. Laura's lean and most Meijer's have a contract, but Laura's lean is not owned by Meijer and it is also distributed by its competitor. No business would do business with a company that doesn't care how its product is marketed and sold.

[Dee.ells]

I am 100% sure it was the beef. The HQ even agreed cross contamination with gluten in the store happens. My house and family is 100% gluten, dairy, seafoof, and pineapple free due to food allergies. When i was diagnosed we tossed all appliances, cookware, utensils, spices, food, and tupperware in addition to personal items and anything remotely questionable. I eat a naked gluten free diet and my reactions are delayex 6-12 hours 12 if i go to sleep right after the contact. When i called Lauras beef hq which is actually meijer hq she told me that cross contamination happens because they cook a lot of stuff back there and sometimes they grind their own beef on site at meijer and I quote, " they are minimum wage workers that might not understand or care." I was told that the prepackaged Laura's beef that is not on the styrofoam trays is verified gluten free. I was shocked at the response. It may not have been fillers it may have just been an improperly cleaned machine but the response told me it was not the first complaint they've received about th

 

Cross contamination of gluten (protein from wheat) occurring within a meat department that doesn't prepare food, cook food, nor offer any packaged foods within close distance to its department by employees that make over minimum wage due to education and skill required to work in and run the meat department along with salaried and competitively based butchers/managers seems very unreasonable to your claims:)

[SMRI]

Cross contamination of gluten (protein from wheat) occurring within a meat department that doesn't prepare food, cook food, nor offer any packaged foods within close distance to its department by employees that make over minimum wage due to education and skill required to work in and run the meat department along with salaried and competitively based butchers/managers seems very unreasonable to your claims:)

 

Well, gluten isn't only found in wheat and cross contamination at a meat counter is very common since many meat counters also sell seasoned meat options, stuffed meat options and breaded meat options.  Even at my wonderful, locally owned grocery store that employs real butchers in the meat department, CC is an issue. 

[kareng]

once again - The OP's assertion that foods are cooked/baked behind the meat counter is not likely.  There are federal and local health standards that must be met. I have seen meat counters that do marinate or bread meats but never have I seen one where they " they cook a lot of stuff back there ".

[SMRI]

once again - The OP's assertion that foods are cooked/baked behind the meat counter is not likely.  There are federal and local health standards that must be met. I have seen meat counters that do marinate or bread meats but never have I seen one where they " they cook a lot of stuff back there ".

 

Our meat market in our grocery store makes rotisserie chicken and a few other things like that, behind the meat counter. She didn't say anything about cooking meat?

[w8in4dave]

That is a different thing and that makes sense. I can't believe a grocery would be allowed to cook things behind the meat counter, where they cut meat. If they are doing that, I think they need to be reported.

Not cooking , just stuffed pork chops right next to the plain cut pork chops. There is a separation lil thing but they still touch. Still off topic tho , sorry! 

[w8in4dave]

Well, gluten isn't only found in wheat and cross contamination at a meat counter is very common since many meat counters also sell seasoned meat options, stuffed meat options and breaded meat options.  Even at my wonderful, locally owned grocery store that employs real butchers in the meat department, CC is an issue. 

This is more what I was talking about.  This stuff touching plain cut meat.