Officially upset with Costco
- Thread starter LMichaels
- Start date
USDA began requiring that mechanically tenderized meat be labelled starting May 2016.
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/c...b-99a41c75eeb6/Comp_Guide_MTB.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
On steaks, if you look closely, you'll see tiny slits where the blades have penetrated the meat.
On this page, the USDA says that between 2000-2016, there were only six outbreaks of food-borne illness attributed to mechanically tenderized beef. The risk seems pretty low.
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/porta...ood-labeling/MTB/mechanically-tenderized-beef
Rich Dahl
R.I.P. 7/21/2024
Thanks for posting that Chris, seeing that Barb and I grind our own hamburger and pork that makes me feel a lot better about doing that.
Bob Correll
R.I.P. 3/31/2022
Ran across this today:
[h=1]Want a Juicier Steak? Punch Some Holes in It[/h]
[h=1]Want a Juicier Steak? Punch Some Holes in It[/h]
Lynn Dollar
TVWBB Emerald Member
Clint
TVWBB Olympian
I found this interesting:
"Costco (NASDAQ:COST) has shown that its business model won't be upended by the ongoing digital revolution. The warehouse club has steadily grown its membership while maintaining roughly 90% renewal rates.
Those are tremendous signs for a company that makes most of its money from memberships."
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/10/17/heres-why-costco-is-the-perfect-dividend-stock.aspx
"Costco (NASDAQ:COST) has shown that its business model won't be upended by the ongoing digital revolution. The warehouse club has steadily grown its membership while maintaining roughly 90% renewal rates.
Those are tremendous signs for a company that makes most of its money from memberships."
https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/10/17/heres-why-costco-is-the-perfect-dividend-stock.aspx
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
If I don't renew my membership with Costco it won't be because of the meat thing. Rather one of convenience. Sam's is only 2 miles from my home and in the midst of most places I go to on a regular basis (Drs, Discount Tire, other shopping, banking, etc.) Costco is about 5 miles away and the only time I actually go to the area (other than to Costco) is to Farm & Fleet and mostly there now only when I need ammunition since Walmart has decided to side with the PC crowd and no longer sell it. But, I don't shoot a lot since I don't hunt, I am not a CCW holder so I only occasionally go to the range to kill some paper and make a little noise. So F&F is not on my regular trip radar.
The other issue I have been finding is while both clubs use quantity as their value driver Costco takes it too far i.e. beef, pork chops or lamb chops. I need to buy quantities that FAR exceed my needs and kill any "value" since I have an aversion to freezing meat. IMO once frozen it's no good to me no matter how I wrap it the flavor and texture has changed so much I end up throwing it away. Eggs are not fresh at my Costco either. A HUGE disappointment. And, they're very expensive compared to eggs I buy from Sam's.
As for the meat quality. I have found if I treat Sam's meat the way Costco does (blade tenderize) there is not enough difference to pay the extra $3.00 per lb Costco charges plus making me buy such HUGE packages. Leaving me with say tires or appliances and electronics. Well here Discount Tire is my "go to" I will not buy tires anywhere else. I don't even shop around for price. They're always good (if not best), service is impeccable, the owner of the company is a "believer" (means a lot to me). As for electronics and major appliances. Best Buy is again my go to. Again value is always second to none, service/support is fantastic as well. In the last 5 years we have purchased a washer, dryer, refrigerator and stove. All at Best Buy not to mention our big screen TV and now 2 mobile phones. Which in all cases were SUBSTANTIALLY less $$$ than anywhere else including the so called value leaders. So my Costco membership is seemingly becoming superfluous
The other issue I have been finding is while both clubs use quantity as their value driver Costco takes it too far i.e. beef, pork chops or lamb chops. I need to buy quantities that FAR exceed my needs and kill any "value" since I have an aversion to freezing meat. IMO once frozen it's no good to me no matter how I wrap it the flavor and texture has changed so much I end up throwing it away. Eggs are not fresh at my Costco either. A HUGE disappointment. And, they're very expensive compared to eggs I buy from Sam's.
As for the meat quality. I have found if I treat Sam's meat the way Costco does (blade tenderize) there is not enough difference to pay the extra $3.00 per lb Costco charges plus making me buy such HUGE packages. Leaving me with say tires or appliances and electronics. Well here Discount Tire is my "go to" I will not buy tires anywhere else. I don't even shop around for price. They're always good (if not best), service is impeccable, the owner of the company is a "believer" (means a lot to me). As for electronics and major appliances. Best Buy is again my go to. Again value is always second to none, service/support is fantastic as well. In the last 5 years we have purchased a washer, dryer, refrigerator and stove. All at Best Buy not to mention our big screen TV and now 2 mobile phones. Which in all cases were SUBSTANTIALLY less $$$ than anywhere else including the so called value leaders. So my Costco membership is seemingly becoming superfluous
Rich Dahl
R.I.P. 7/21/2024
Before Sam's went out of business here it was about 4 miles away and Costco is about 8 miles away. I didn't even honk my horn when we drove past Sam's on our way to Costco.
Were we lived prior to moving back to this area we only had a Sam's and I didn't care for it at all, a Walmart for bulk goods. Items of mediocre quality and limited selection.
It was interesting that when Sam's went under our Costco picked up over 4000 new members which to this day about 2 years later it's still a major problem to find a parking spot at any time.
They must be doing something right.
Were we lived prior to moving back to this area we only had a Sam's and I didn't care for it at all, a Walmart for bulk goods. Items of mediocre quality and limited selection.
It was interesting that when Sam's went under our Costco picked up over 4000 new members which to this day about 2 years later it's still a major problem to find a parking spot at any time.
They must be doing something right.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Honestly I have to admit Sam's is stepping up their game. Nearly to the point that come next August it will be a real sit down and think about whether I will renew it. When it opened here (Costco) this past Aug for about 6 weeks you could have shot a canon in the Sam's parking lot and not hit a soul and Costco was mobbed. It is now evening out a lot. Though Costco is still much more crowded. Costco would be so much better if they would just downsize the packages a bit and actually give some better electronics values as Best Buy still trumps them
Kelley Brown
TVWBB Fan
We've had memberships at both and we just don't buy enough there to offset the cost of the membership. Before my wife retired from WalMart, we got 1/2 price Sam's memberships. I see very little difference between the two places.