Since the packaging changed Sainsburys mince is awful

[Ifeelabnormal]

Just that really. Mince is now in these vacuum packs and it's horrid and lumpy - hard to get out the pack to start with, but doesn't break up properly while cooking so it ends up full of lumps and really disgusting.

I appreciate the new packaging is probably for environmental reasons but it's making the mince inedible! I think I will stop buying it even though it's one of my easy go-to meals.

Are other supermarkets using the same? I haven't checked.

I 100% agree. I've stopped buying it and get it from the butcher now. Its been moved to a smaller shelf and is reguarly reduced in my local store as I think they struggle to sell it.

Totally agree.
I only buy it in Tesco now. Can’t stand the vac packed stuff.

It doesn’t bother me, in fact when I put it in a pan you can “unfold it” (it looks folded) and it looks pretty normal. I can’t get hung up about it

I bought mince from Morrisons last week and it was still in the old style packaging. I hate the vacuum packed stuff as it doesn't break down properly

Glad you've found a way to cook it so it turns out ok

We stopped buying Sainsbury’s mince after the first time we tried it packed this way - it ruins the texture and makes it woolly, and tasteless too. I have complained to Sainsbury’s but got a ‘no-one else has complained’ sort of non-answer.

At least one other supermarket has switched back to the old style packaging - Aldi, I think - so hopefully others will realise how unpopular it is, and switch back too.

Tesco is the only place around here that still do the "normal" packaging. I hate the vacuum packed mince. It has the texture of being boiled no matter how I cook it

I genuinely don't understand people who say they can't break this mince up. It's exactly the same as when it used to be in a plastic box, it's just been vacuum-packed to compress it. All you do is break it down with a spoon in the pan.

Our Aldi have just started using the vacuum packaging. They were my go to until last month!

You get used to it! Just chop it a bit with a knife. They take up a lot less room in the freezer, which is good.

Same with Lidl since they packed it that way. I bulk buy Aberdeen Angus meat from Costco now. So much better .

Yes! I made Bolognese the other day, it turned into meatballs. The Co-op have started this nonsense too, I briefly contemplated buying a mincer to 're mince it. I now buy frozen as it's free flow but it's often out of stock as I imagine others are buying too. I also cook in an air fryer to keep costs down and do not want to ruin the pan by pounding with a wooden spoon to get some sort of mince texture back.

Use it all the time and the end result is no different to when it came in a plastic carton.

Yep, thanks Sainsburys, it's completely changed the texture of my spag bol so that now no one will eat it and I have to go out of my way to find "normal" mince. Tesco and I think Asda still ok.

I'm genuinely puzzled by those who say it's no different. I'm not saying I don't believe you, but how are you cooking it? I try hard to break it down but it's still lumpy and has the texture of boiled meat, like someone else said.

I don’t find it changes the taste or texture or anything of the finished meal, but I do find it’s a lot more work to break it all up when cooking. Annoying for sure!

Lidl do this too. I just accepted it and got on with it until i had some normally packaged mince from Asda and it was so much nicer.

Yes it is awful. Don't shop at Sainsbury's anymore. Tesco is still normal, Waitrose have reduced packaging without making dog food.

Thought it was just me! It's horrible, you have to stand there for an age chopping it with a knife. Never breaks up properly. I stick to butchers mince if given a choice.

Co-op has done the same with theirs. While I do understand why they're doing it, it makes it much harder to work with and doesn't taste quite the same imo.

It's like grating cheese; more oxygen exposure changes the taste imo

I much prefer the texture of the frozen mince 5% fat.

Yes! I think it smells weird too. Has put me right off.

I've started buying mince and other meat from a local butcher. It costs more but the mince is much nicer than the supermarket ready packed stuff I was buying.

I do have a small pack of the vacuum packed mince in the freezer but I've yet to use it. It just looks horrible.

It's horrible, tried a few times & noone would eat it due to the texture. I refuse to buy it now. Coop, sainsburys & aldi have all switched packaging. I buy from Asda, Morrisons now.

It's horrible, I've stopped shopping at Sainsburys now as I won't use that mince.