Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not buy mince in Sainsbury's

234 replies

Abccde · 09/03/2023 19:03

1st world problems I know 🤣

But yuck - I wouldn't feed it to a dog.

The new vacuum pac might not affect the taste (I won't be finding out for a long time) but it certainly looks absolutely disgusting.

And it wasn't this colour in store - they were all horrible and brown! 🤢🤮

To not buy mince in Sainsbury's
OP posts:
Original poster
Abccde · 09/03/2023 20:17

I think people can often be deceived by packaging and think its better for the environment than it actually is.

Tomatoes moving from tin to a tetra pac style packaging is a perfect example.

OP posts:
FurAndFeathers · 09/03/2023 20:27

GoodChat · 09/03/2023 19:42

@FurAndFeathers wanting your meat to not look like it's rotting really isn't that unusual

If you think brown = rotten then you really need to educate yourself!

it’s simply oxidised blood. Perfectly natural and normal

sunshineandshowers40 · 09/03/2023 20:29

I agree, we had some delivered this week and it looks grim!

CatNamedEaster · 09/03/2023 20:33

I'm really annoyed by the change in packaging. Don't care about the appearance BUT I think they are being very disengenuous about it, saying it saves 50% plastic.
I think it must be purely for cost savings because environmentally it is actually worse: before, you could recycle the pack and only the film lid had to go in the bin, but none of the new pack can be recycled.
So just for that reason I won't be buying it anymore.

FurAndFeathers · 09/03/2023 20:39

CatNamedEaster · 09/03/2023 20:33

I'm really annoyed by the change in packaging. Don't care about the appearance BUT I think they are being very disengenuous about it, saying it saves 50% plastic.
I think it must be purely for cost savings because environmentally it is actually worse: before, you could recycle the pack and only the film lid had to go in the bin, but none of the new pack can be recycled.
So just for that reason I won't be buying it anymore.

The problem is that there’s a finite life in recycling plastics, and a significant proportion of the population wouldn’t have recycled anyway. It’s very likely this does represent an over reduction in plastic waste to landfill

xprincessxjanetx · 09/03/2023 20:44

YANBU, I bought some the other day. It took about 2 minutes to "squeeze" *VOM" it out of the packaging - like that dog food that comes in cylindrical packaging. Then it took 20 minutes to brown it instead of 5 as it was just like a paste. It didn't go to "mince" at all...just smaller little lumps. Really wasn't appetising. I couldn't eat it after that (I am pregnant and have serious food aversions so it didn't help!)

RiverRock22 · 09/03/2023 20:45

Supermarket mince for me is ugh I always find it a bit too rubbery. I only get mince in the butchers, same as chicken fillets - quality and size is always better.

frazzle66 · 09/03/2023 20:50

Yanbu! Went shopping Monday at sainsburys and ended up going to Tescos for mince as it looks vile. Absolutely disgusting 🤮

MakeupTable · 09/03/2023 20:55

Awful

hennybeans · 09/03/2023 21:02

I avoided it for a while but finally tried it last night. Mine was browner than normal but smelled fine. The texture was like a paste though and it was hard to break up to get it to cook evenly. It’s was messier to get out of the packaging into the pan. It tasted the same when cooked.

I did accidentally buy 750 g instead of my usual 500g because the packaging made it look smaller and I didn’t check the size.

GoodChat · 09/03/2023 21:04

@FurAndFeathers yes I know that's what happens when it oxidises but mince in the normal sealed packets doesn't turn brown unless it's going off.

Your responses are unnecessarily rude.

ibuymeownflowers · 09/03/2023 21:05

hennybeans · 09/03/2023 21:02

I avoided it for a while but finally tried it last night. Mine was browner than normal but smelled fine. The texture was like a paste though and it was hard to break up to get it to cook evenly. It’s was messier to get out of the packaging into the pan. It tasted the same when cooked.

I did accidentally buy 750 g instead of my usual 500g because the packaging made it look smaller and I didn’t check the size.

Like a paste? Ew

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 09/03/2023 21:06

A paste like texture is not exactly what I would want from mince.

Iyjd · 09/03/2023 21:10

Less plastic waste, less transporting waste as smaller packets=more fit on the lorry leading to less journeys. No MAP means less chemicals. Vacuum packed usually lasts longer.

Icequeen01 · 09/03/2023 21:10

I totally agree Op and I have stopped buying it in Sainsburys and now get mine from Tesco. It's the paste like texture that makes me want to 🤮

Fancysauce · 09/03/2023 21:12

AnnaBegins · 09/03/2023 20:06

Totally agree, now it's in non recyclable soft plastic when before at least I could recycle the tray, I can't open it without it spilling everywhere so more work to clean the whole kitchen, and it's one lump rather than mince, so no longer serves the same purpose. And the brown colour worries me, also I know vacuum packed food has an initial smell on opening but it's hard to know if the smell is just that or if it's truly off (well within use by date).

One key principle in making packaging more eco friendly is thinking about the whole lifecycle. Yes this packaging might be marginally lighter for transport, but it's less recyclable, and if people use kitchen roll to mop up the mess then that's more landfill, and if customers think the meat is off when it isn't, and bin it, that's unnecessary food waste.

What are you doing to your mince that it gets spread across your entire kitchen?! The mind boggles!

Okunevo · 09/03/2023 21:12

Level7wannabee · 09/03/2023 19:42

The one OP describes doesn't sound right at all.

We usually use Quorn mince as lean beef is too expensive

There's hardly any difference in price in Tesco, £2.95 vs £3.29.

Nat6999 · 09/03/2023 21:12

I-'ve started buying cheaper cuts of steak like frying steak & lightly blasting it while still semi frozen in the food processor, it cooks better than supermarket mince.

Towcester · 09/03/2023 21:14

I attended one of those paid research focus groups and it turned out it was about mince being packaged in this way. At first, most said they wouldnt buy it but by the end and after an hour of discussion most were open to it mainly due to: environmental reasons, taking up less space in the freezer and possibly vaccum packed meaning it stays fresher longer.

Level7wannabee · 09/03/2023 21:15

@Okunevo oh cool! Thats good to know! We don't have a Tesco though :( x

Okunevo · 09/03/2023 21:18

Level7wannabee · 09/03/2023 21:15

@Okunevo oh cool! Thats good to know! We don't have a Tesco though :( x

That's Aldi price matched if you have an Aldi or Lidl?

ChungusBoi · 09/03/2023 21:18

Supermarket meat isn’t great and this is a good opportunity to try something new. I now buy meat online from a high welfare farm. It’s more expensive but tastes nicer, the texture is better, the delivery is convenient. I’m done with supermarkets and the shitty way they treat their suppliers.

TeenLifeMum · 09/03/2023 21:20

So glad they’re reducing the ridiculous packaging.

Logicoutofthewindow · 09/03/2023 21:32

The type that throw in the bin along with the wonky cucumbers and not perfect carrots - whilst the developing countries starve.

Logicoutofthewindow · 09/03/2023 21:33

Towcester · 09/03/2023 21:14

I attended one of those paid research focus groups and it turned out it was about mince being packaged in this way. At first, most said they wouldnt buy it but by the end and after an hour of discussion most were open to it mainly due to: environmental reasons, taking up less space in the freezer and possibly vaccum packed meaning it stays fresher longer.

Sounds reasonable. The environment, saving space and lasting longer. Ah, but it's not in a pretty little packet.... 😯

Swipe left for the next trending thread