As a regular shopper at Meijer stores, I’ve picked up my fair share of flavorful steaks, juicy roasts, and lean ground beef from their meat cases. But I’ve always wondered – where exactly does all that delicious Meijer beef come from?
As a beef lover who wants to know the origins of my food, I decided to dig into Meijer’s beef supply chain. In this article, I’ll share everything I discovered about the journey Meijer’s beef takes before it arrives in their stores. We’ll look at:
- The specific ranches and regions their beef is sourced from
- How they ensure quality standards are met
- The breeds of cattle their beef comes from
- The feed and care of the cattle
- The processing and transportation process
- Meijer’s in-store meat cutting and preparations
- Their commitment to local farmers and suppliers
- The certification and grading of their beef
Let’s trace the complex path Meijer’s beef travels to uncover what makes it so tasty!
Meijer Sources Beef From Trusted Ranches Around the U.S.
Meijer procures their beef from carefully selected and approved ranches located around the United States This includes cattle-raising states like Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and others.
By sourcing beef from multiple ranches across various regions, they can purchase high-quality beef year-round. The climate and grazing lands in these areas are ideal for raising well-marbled, flavorful cattle.
Meijer vets ranches thoroughly to ensure they meet stringent standards for animal welfare, sustainability, and responsible farming practices before agreeing to source from them.
Rigorous Inspections Throughout the Supply Chain
From the farm to the store, Meijer subjects their beef supply to rigorous quality control checks.
They regularly inspect the ranches, feedlots, and processing facilities that supply their beef This guarantees the cattle are healthy and facilities meet sanitary standards
The beef is USDA graded for marbling, maturity, size, and color. Only USDA Choice grade or higher beef makes it into Meijer stores, indicating better marbling and flavor.
Meijer’s distribution team inspects beef shipments again before sending to stores to validate quality and freshness. Their comprehensive inspections result in delicious, high-quality beef.
Cattle Breeds That Become Meijer’s Beef
Meijer sources quality beef from some of the top cattle breeds prized for superior meat:
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Angus – The most common breed, known for flavor and marbling. Meijer Angus must be Certified Angus Beef.
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Hereford – Provides lean, tender beef with a slightly sweeter taste.
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Simmental – Large cuts of well-marbled beef.
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Brahman – Adds tenderness and juiciness from higher muscle content.
These premier “beef breeds” allow Meijer to deliver exceptionally tasty, high-quality beef.
Cattle Care and Feeding for Healthy, Flavorful Beef
Cattle that become Meijer beef are raised according to industry best practices:
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Calves stay with mothers on pasture for 6-8 months after birth.
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Cattle are rotated to fresh pastures and rangeland as they grow.
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Their diet consists of a healthy mix of grain, grass, hay, and vitamins.
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Growth hormones and routine antibiotics are never administered.
This ethical approach to cattle raising reduces stress and produces robust, healthy cattle which leads to better tasting beef.
From Ranch to Store – Processing, Transportation and Inspection
Once cattle reach target weight, around 1,200-1,400 lbs, they are humanely transported to USDA-inspected processing facilities. The cattle are harvested and carcasses aged for tenderness.
Carcasses are broken into primal cuts, vacuum sealed, and shipped in refrigerated trucks to Meijer distribution centers where they undergo one final quality inspection before being sent to stores.
Beef is delivered to stores up to four times weekly to ensure optimal freshness. Skilled in-store butchers then prepare the cuts for the meat case.
In-Store Butchers Prepare Cuts and Handmade Meats
Each Meijer store has talented butchers who hand cut subprimals into steaks, roasts, chops, and other retail cuts. They expertly trim cuts and prepare custom orders to customers’ specifications.
The butcher shop also makes store-made ground beef, sausages, marinated meats, and value-added products like kabobs for shoppers’ convenience. Their skills result in the finest quality of meat cuts.
Supporting Local Suppliers and Sustainable Practices
In addition to its national supply chain, Meijer makes an effort to source some beef from local farms and processors within each store’s community. This supports small, family-run farms and businesses and benefits the local economy.
Meijer also favors beef producers focused on environmental sustainability like rotational grazing, waste management, and minimal antibiotic usage. Choosing suppliers with sustainable practices helps reduce their environmental impact.
USDA Certification Ensures Premium Quality
All Meijer beef must meet Certified Angus Beef® (CAB) specifications, indicating the highest quality USDA Prime or Choice graded beef.
Only 1 in 4 Angus cattle meet the strict marbling, juiciness, flavor, and tenderness requirements for CAB certification. This rigorous standard allows Meijer to offer some of the best tasting beef available.
Rockford Meijer recalls ground beef
FAQ
What grade of beef does Meijer sell?
Does Meijer have quality meat?
Where does most grocery store beef come from?
Where does the beef from Walmart come from?
Where does Meijer get its meat?
Meijer sources meat products from many companies. They do not source in the U.S., but they source locally from the U.S. Where Does Meijer Get Its Meat In 2022? Meijer plans to continue selling only meat raised in the U.S. in 2022, but is also testing selling other products.
Does Meijer have turkey meat?
Turkey meat at Meijer is also of good quality, and you can purchase it as ground, turkey breasts, or even turkey meatballs. Meijer – The place where you can find all the best meat, fresh and frozen. What Types of Meat Does Meijer Have? The meat is bought in the form of cuts. The cuts vary depending on the category and type.
Where does Meijer chicken come from?
Meijer operates over 100 stores in 15 states. The company sources its fresh chicken from local family farms in the Tennessee area. Does Meijer Have Good Meat? Meijer is also another nice option for those who want better fresh meat than you would find at the dollar store, and at a quality you can’t find at the grocery store.
Does Meijer have chicken breast?
Meijer has a wide variety of cuts of meat, so you can choose between ground beef, large chunks, fillet, or steak. It appears that Meijer has switched the chicken breasts to non-antibiotic chicken breasts. The other options are antibiotic free. Meijer sells pork meat sourced from vegan-fed pigs.