Blue/Green Specks In Raw Grassfed Hamburger

[Max]

Hey guys,

I have found small blue/green pieces of something in just about all my grassfed hamburger.  I pick them out when I see them, but I am sure I've eaten a lot.  Does anyone know what they are?

[achillezzz]

no idea but im sure its not supposed to be there.

[Sitting Coyote]

Without a photo it's tough to guess.  Maybe the meat was contaminated by stomach contents during butchering and you're seeing flecks of grass?

[donrad]

When beef carcuses are graded by government inspectors they run a stamper over the beef cuts using a blue/green dye.

It is a vegetable dye, you can see it on the edge of some retail cuts. When I purchased meat for my restaurant it was how I could verify if the meat was USDA Choice.

If this is grass fed beef it probably does not have a fed inspection stamp. So the specs are something else or the butcher is cheating. It costs more to produce a grass finished beef.

[Max]

Thanks guys,

I think it was the stamp thing.  I will still pick out the specks I can see, but otherwise will not worry about the specks.