Walking into the small meat company production area, I immediately noticed an employee loading various beef parts into a mixer/grinder while holding a hose and splashing water into the same mixer prior to grinding all the ingredients into something that was soon to be marketed as hamburger. Clearly, the company was cheating, at least I thought so, as it seemed to me almost unconscionable to add the water to the ground beef mixture. But was it really cheating?

As I was quickly escorted through the facility and out of “eyeshot” from the ground beef processing room, I asked the owner/manager why water was added to the ground beef and if it was declared on the hamburger’s label. I was told in no uncertain terms that “No!” there was no declaration other than hamburger. Water, in the owner’s words, was being added for “flavor, tenderness and profit.” To me, there was no mistaking the real motive to add water into the ground beef mixture, which the company received from the municipal supply almost free. It was greed.

I couldn’t help but imagine a consumer preparing an evening meal from that water-added hamburger wondering why there was so much moisture forming in the pan during frying.

While it was some time ago that I observed this ground beef mixing “procedure,” I clearly remember that water hose. Although this meat processor was federally inspected, unfortunately the USDA inspector was only able to be on site for a few hours a day as there were other meat companies in that USDA inspector’s circuit that required oversight. During those times of the inspector’s absence, the water-added hamburger was produced.

In a visit to another ground beef processor, I observed the whole grinding and forming process during which the square “bricks” of ground beef were fed up a conveyor belt into a packaging machine. As they were transported up the belt, a water spray cascaded over the “bricks” just prior to them entering the sealing machine. When I asked why this was done, I was told that the water helped preserve the ground beef in the sealed package. Unfortunately, it also added cheap water to the weight of the hamburger package. Another form of greed.

I sincerely believe that similar forms of cheating like these examples no longer exist in our meat and poultry industry. And, while USDA inspectors are probably stretched thin in their inspection efforts, nothing as egregious as placing a water hose into the beef grinder and spraying the mixture or adding water to hamburger prior to packaging occurs, nor has it occurred in many years. If it does occur, it is caught, and the manager/owners pay the price.

But, does cheating in other forms exist? And if it does, is it much more subtle and surreptitious? I really don’t know. But, I do know the greed factor exists, as it is a part of human nature. If so, how do we control it or, better yet, eliminate it?

As part of human nature, it probably cannot be eliminated but it can be controlled. One control method is by appealing to human nature’s “better angels” theory. Or, we can hope that forewarned and thus forearmed meat or poultry company managers so tempted will see any form of cheating as punishably wrong and refrain from it. But, if more subtle or less obvious forms of cheating do exist, it is incumbent on each of us to root them out and stop them.

I am not implying that our industry is replete with greedy cheaters sneaking around processing plants pouring water into the ground beef grinder or some other form of clandestine product cheapening while trying to eke out a greater profit. No, not at all. I have seen so many plants that do the right thing and have in-house controls and inspections to eliminate any form of “cheating” with corrective actions and remedial training for offenders.

And while I want to pat all those who don’t “cheat” on the back, quite simply that should be the standard throughout our industry. It deserves applause, but it also deserves to be expected.

Cheaters never prosper — or do they?

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