page_title: Ground beef
section_title: Contents
hierarchical_section_title: Ground beef / Contents
caption_attribution_description: English: Raw Ground/Minced beef Deutsch: Rinderhackfleisch auf weißem Teller
context_page_description: Ground beef, minced beef or beef mince is beef that has been finely chopped with a knife or a meat grinder or mincing machine. It is used in many recipes including hamburgers and spaghetti Bolognese.
  It is not the same as mincemeat, which is a mixture of chopped dried fruit, distilled spirits, spices and historically minced/ground meat.
context_section_description: In many countries, food laws define specific categories of ground beef and what they can contain. For example, in the United States, beef fat may be added to hamburger but not to ground beef if the meat is ground and packaged at a USDA-inspected plant. In the U.S., a maximum of 30% fat by weight is allowed in either hamburger or ground beef. The allowable amount in France is 5 to 20% (15% being used by most food chains). In Germany, regular ground beef may contain up to 15% fat while the special "Tatar" for steak tartare may contain less than 5% fat. Both hamburger and ground beef can have added seasoning, phosphate, extenders, or binders added; but no additional water is permitted. Ground beef is often marketed in a range of different fat contents to match the preferences of customers.
  Ground beef is generally made from the less tender and less popular cuts of beef. Trimmings from tender cuts may also be used.
  In a study in the U.S. in 2008, eight brands of fast food hamburgers were evaluated for recognizable tissue types using morphological techniques that are commonly used in the evaluation of tissue's histological condition. The study of the eight laboratory specimens found the content of the hamburgers included:
  Water: 37.7% to 62.4% (mean, 49%)
  Muscle: 2.1% to 14.8% (median, 12.1%)
  Skeletal tissue: "Bone and cartilage, observed in some brands, were not expected; their presence may be related to the use of mechanical separation in the processing of the meat from the animal. Small amounts of bone and cartilage may have been detached during the separation process."
  Connective tissue
  Blood vessels
  Peripheral nerve tissue. Brain tissue was not detected in any of the samples.
  Adipose tissue—"The amount of lipid observed was considerable and was seen in both adipose tissue and as lipid droplets. Lipid content on oil-red-O staining was graded as 1+ (moderate) in 6 burgers and 2+ (marked) in 2 burgers."
  Plant material: "was likely added as a filler to give bulk to the burger"
caption: Ground beef
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