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.

A spoon or potato masher would work just as well without spending more money on contraptions.

Meat Chopper, Meat Chopper for Cooking, Mince Masher, Ground Beef Masher Tool, Versatile Kitchen Tool for Mince Masher : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen you need one of these.

Yep, it’s grim. DIL bought some at half term and my heart sank. I managed to pull a muscle trying to break it up for about 30 mins 😂 Even then, there were still tiny clumps in the spag bol.

I don’t see how anyone can say it’s the same. The vacuum compresses the strands so they stick together. It’s the same as when you overwork mince making meatballs or burgers so they are heavy and tough.

Maybe those posters weren’t fully breaking up the mince so it is the same for them 🤷‍♀️

Tried the potato masher - doesn't work. All the mince ends up sticking to it in a sticky mess.

Has anyone tried one of these? Pondering it now....

yes I have one, it is a Pampered Chef one (remember them?) from years ago.

If you look closely the ends are bevelled to give you a sort of non sharp cutting blade on each prong (I don't know what you would call the sticky out bits). V useful bit of kit.

Waitrose and Marks and Spencer haven't yet moved to the vacuum packing. I buy from either of those because I, too, don't like the look of the Sainsbury's product.

Those complaining need to give your heads a wobble. It's the same mince and cooks exactly the same.

Honestly, bloody snowflakes the lot of ya

I used a potato masher! 🤭

They’re not being entirely truthful. They can’t say it’s not different unless they are blind or have no ability to feel textures. I find it tastes ok once you’ve smothered it in sauce.

It’s awful. Yes, you can break it down but it still forms lumps. We use it occasionally, but I’d still rather not.

It's mildly faffier - I break it up into meatball sized chunks with my hands, then finish breaking it up with a spoon in the pan. But absolutely no taste or texture difference once I've finished browning it.

I vastly prefer it. It breaks up with a wooden spoon just fine, and you get nice chunks of meat rather than horrible little vermicious shreds like the old style.

I tend to buy Sainsbury's pork mince more often now and strangely they don't vacuum pack that. Only beef

I often see that mince dumped in the halal section and I’m guessing people are buying the halal one instead because it’s in the normal packet . I’ve bought it from Asda before and it does not not break down, it is not the same as how it used to be. It can not be bolognesed!

Agreed. I don't buy it there any more.

Cooked it today. No different to the mince that comes in loads of packaging. I bet no one could tell the difference once it’s cooked. I’m glad that Sainsbury’s are making an effort to cut down on packaging.

I been getting my mince from the butchers since sainsburys changed the packaging.
Iceland do a frozen mince and I've brought a pack to try this week coming.

The real.problem.xomes when you have broken it apart properly. It disintegrates into tiny pieces that have an unpleasant mouth feel.

Butchers mince for us now because when we do eat meat I want it to be what I expect it to be rather than an over packaged, that'll do, convenient for the supermarket product

The switchover happened at our local Sainsbury's when I was pregnant ☠️ it was a bad time for meat/food textures anyway but that was the nail in the coffin for mince. The lumps of chunky meat were gross. Like lumps of overdone beefburger. 🤢 Can't remember the last time we bought it, I think it's put me off mince for life.

I agree it's hideous now and I won't buy it. Looks like pet food.

Waitrose and Tesco are not vacuum packed

Waitrose just use a bag now but don't vacuum it

@I it's bloody revolting stuff - I only buy mince from M&S, Waitrose or the butcher these days

I agree with you, OP. Tastes the same but the texture once broken down (or mashed to smithereens!) is completely different and we (my household) can definitely tell the difference once cooked. It's almost powdery in texture compared to before. I now only buy frozen mince, as that still comes in the same well defined "strings" that we like.