There are less than a handful of meat packers in the US now. Consolidation ran all the little guys out. The meat all comes from the same place, I used to sit for hours and watch it sold .
“Handling, temperatures, etc” are strictly enforced at all wholesale and retail outlets.
If you feel better paying more thinking you are getting a better product, go right ahead. Poor quality in the refrigerated section can be found at any retailer. Purchasing meat is like purchasing other fresh foods, a skilled buyer rarely buys poor quality.
Of all the meat sold, the only operation that has direct input to what they sell is MacDonalds. They have buyers that buy meat on the hoof and do their own processing. No grocery operation does this.
That’s true about temps. I have to watch Wally very close on frozen food. Nothing irks me more than freezer burned or thawed and re-frozen food. There’s no excuse for it. Get it off the truck and either in a freezer in stock room or in display ASAP. I love Staufers spaghetti. Opening it up from Wally with the spaghetti portion freezer burned tells me what I want to know about the rest of the refrigerated items are being handled. It is a Wally issue though. Sloppy handling upon delivery. No problems with same product when purchased elsewhere. Now I wait for sales and buy that elsewhere.
You are not correct. I am not going to argue with you about your experience. But all beef is not the same. All pork is not the same. I KNOW for a fact...Kroger, COSTCO and Safeway DO have a say in what is bought to be sold at their stores.
You are also not taking into consideration how grades impact quality and flavor. If you think no roll beef tastes as good as certified angus choice...you would be in the minority.
Finally..how the product is cut by meat cutters does impact quality. If you have some untrained hacker cutting product...THAT person can ruin even the best product.
But you go ahead and buy from Wally World...I don’t care...cuz I ‘m neither paying for it or having to cook it. :)