Page 3 | Mushy vacuum packed mince

likelysuspect · 2026-07-01T18:33:01+00:00

Im not having a lot of luck with vacuum packed products lately Ive never bought it in the new packaging until this week. I was in Lidl and didnt have time to go elsewhere so bought it as it was, that squished up stuff in the vacuum pack Its all mushy when raw and it doesnt have the same texture once cooked as normal packed mince Im disappointed.

TamTam5 · 01/07/2026 20:59

XenoBitch · 01/07/2026 20:55

Depends what you are using it for.
Chili con - mushy is no good.
Making burgers or meatballs - fine

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Mushy is excellent for chilli.

XenoBitch · 01/07/2026 20:55

TamTam5 · 01/07/2026 20:54

No it doesn’t. The texture is better and it absorbs flavours better. I hate the worms the other mince is like.

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Depends what you are using it for.
Chili con - mushy is no good.
Making burgers or meatballs - fine

TeenLifeMum · 01/07/2026 20:55

@TamTam5 I’m with you. Agree it holds the flavour better and less water in it.

TeenLifeMum · 01/07/2026 20:54

I find Ocado mince is really good and the vacuum packed goes further despite less meat. I felt mince was really going down in quality and taste and was going off it but I now like it again. Maybe I’m odd.

TamTam5 · 01/07/2026 20:54

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:43

It ruins the texture, @Honeyhonayboo, making it mushy and woolly, and makes it taste less good too, imo.

No it doesn’t. The texture is better and it absorbs flavours better. I hate the worms the other mince is like.

Simplelife1 · 01/07/2026 20:53

If you can't afford to pay a decent price for an animal that have had a good life, and cost more, perhaps, don"t eat meat? Cheap meat lowers standards and people's perceptions of what a life costs

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:51

Honeyhonayboo · 01/07/2026 20:46

This is completely subjective.

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Don’t you choose foodstuffs that you actually like, @Honeyhonayboo? This thread shows that I’m not the only person who thinks vacuum packing ruins the texture of the meat, and I’m not going to spend money on substandard food.

If something you had previously enjoyed was changed in a way that drastically lowered the standard of the product in your (subjective) opinion, would you still carry on buying it?

Original poster

likelysuspect · 01/07/2026 20:46

Simplelife1 · 01/07/2026 20:44

What do you call too expensive?
An animal has been reared, housed, feed, till death. What price would be acceptable to you?
I say this as a life quality meat eater

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Supermarket prices are acceptable to me. Asda, Lidl, Aldi and I'll try Morrisons now that Ive found out they sell it in the trays

We cant afford Waitrose or M+S or Sainsburys. Tescos is sometimes ok pricewise.

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Honeyhonayboo · 01/07/2026 20:46

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:43

It ruins the texture, @Honeyhonayboo, making it mushy and woolly, and makes it taste less good too, imo.

This is completely subjective.

XenoBitch · 01/07/2026 20:45

Simplelife1 · 01/07/2026 20:44

What do you call too expensive?
An animal has been reared, housed, feed, till death. What price would be acceptable to you?
I say this as a life quality meat eater

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There are no butchers local to me, but the actual closest one sells mince, and it is 3 times the price of supermarket.
If you are on a low income, that is a lot of money.

Simplelife1 · 01/07/2026 20:44

likelysuspect · 01/07/2026 20:34

Its far too expensive.

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What do you call too expensive?
An animal has been reared, housed, feed, till death. What price would be acceptable to you?
I say this as a life quality meat eater

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:43

It ruins the texture, @Honeyhonayboo, making it mushy and woolly, and makes it taste less good too, imo.

Honeyhonayboo · 01/07/2026 20:41

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:29

But using the vacuum packing degrades the quality of the product, @TamTam5 - a product which has taken resources to produce, and which should be treated with reasonable respect so it reaches the consumer in good condition. Spoiling a foodstuff in the name of the environment makes zero sense to me.

Everything I’ve ever read suggests it prolongs the shelf life considerably, in what way is it degrading the product?

WhatWouldYouDo223 · 01/07/2026 20:41

Doesn’t bother me much either. I buy both

Original poster

likelysuspect · 01/07/2026 20:41

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:35

Morrisons, @likelysuspect - lovely mince.

I read that they used to do the vacuum stuff and then changed it back due to customer feedback.

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RobertaFirmino · 01/07/2026 20:38

I buy it. Can't say the vac pack bothers me.

VividDeer · 01/07/2026 20:35

Not buying Sainsbury's mince till they change it. I wonder if anyone buys it

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:35

Morrisons, @likelysuspect - lovely mince.

Original poster

likelysuspect · 01/07/2026 20:34

nomas · 01/07/2026 20:06

You can go to the butchers and ask them
to mince fresh meat for you there and then.

Its far too expensive.

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Hohofortherobbers · 01/07/2026 20:34

I dont buy it fresh now its vacuum packed, I buy frozen.

Upstartled · 01/07/2026 20:33

I can't abide the vacuum packed mince. It's gross.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:29

But using the vacuum packing degrades the quality of the product, @TamTam5 - a product which has taken resources to produce, and which should be treated with reasonable respect so it reaches the consumer in good condition. Spoiling a foodstuff in the name of the environment makes zero sense to me.

TamTam5 · 01/07/2026 20:22

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/07/2026 20:20

The only place we have found decent packaged mince is Morrisons, @likelysuspect. We stopped using the Sainsbury’s vacuum packed mince ages ago because it was so much and woolly - we did complain, and I think others did too, but they don’t care.

No because they care about the environment more.

XenoBitch · 01/07/2026 20:22

MiddleAgedDread · 01/07/2026 20:21

morrisons still sell it in proper trays (or did when I last bought it).
I don’t even see how it really saves plastic, the vacuum packed stuff isn’t really recyclable (or at least I’m not washing it out and storing it) whereas the trays are.

I use the tray for other things (they make great propagators if you grow plants)

MiddleAgedDread · 01/07/2026 20:21

morrisons still sell it in proper trays (or did when I last bought it).
I don’t even see how it really saves plastic, the vacuum packed stuff isn’t really recyclable (or at least I’m not washing it out and storing it) whereas the trays are.