What Do Butchers Add to Ground Beef? The Real Ingredients and Regulations

December 24, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, pure ground beef should contain nothing but chopped fresh and/or frozen beef, with or without seasoning. This standard dispels many myths about fillers, but it also prompts the question: what exactly goes into the beef and fat mix? This guide explains what happens at the butcher's block and clarifies the ingredients and standards behind this staple meat product.

Quick Summary

Butchers use beef trimmings, which are high-quality muscle and fat scraps from larger cuts, to create ground beef and control the final lean-to-fat ratio, strictly adhering to USDA guidelines that prohibit non-meat fillers or extenders.

Key Points

Beef Trimmings: Butchers use boneless meat and fat scraps, known as trimmings, from larger cuts to create ground beef, ensuring all parts of the animal are used.
Fat Ratio Control: The fat content is adjusted by combining lean and fatty trimmings from different primal cuts, such as chuck, round, or sirloin, to achieve ratios like 80/20 or 90/10.
No Fillers or Binders: By law, genuine ground beef and hamburger cannot contain binders, extenders, phosphates, or added water, only chopped beef and fat from the animal.
Hamburger vs. Ground Beef: A key regulatory distinction is that beef fat can be explicitly added to "Hamburger," whereas the fat in "Ground Beef" comes naturally from the beef trimmings used.
Freshness is Key: For the highest quality, ask your butcher to grind a specific cut of meat fresh for you, giving you full control over the ingredients and fat content.

The Core Ingredients: Beef Trimmings

Contrary to popular misconceptions, the primary component a butcher adds to ground beef is simply more beef. Butchers create ground beef by using "trimmings," which are the wholesome, boneless pieces of meat and fat left over after cutting steaks, roasts, and other primal cuts. These pieces are not waste but are perfectly good muscle meat and fat that are not suitable for selling as whole cuts due to their size and shape. Rather than being discarded, these trimmings are collected and become the raw material for a fresh grind. This practice is a sustainable and efficient use of the animal, ensuring that as little as possible goes to waste. A single beef carcass can yield a significant portion of its weight in trimmings, which can then be used to create various types of ground beef.

The Importance of Primal Cuts

Butchers can and often do customize the blend for ground beef based on the specific cuts used. For example, ground chuck is made from the trimmings of the shoulder, offering a rich, beefy flavor and a higher fat content ideal for burgers. Ground sirloin, from the sirloin primal, will be leaner and is better suited for dishes where you want less grease. Butchers can even create custom grinds using a combination of cuts like chuck, short rib, or brisket to develop a unique flavor profile for a more premium product.

The Role of Fat Content

One of the most significant things a butcher controls is the lean-to-fat ratio. This ratio, often seen as 80/20 or 90/10, is not a product of adding separate fillers but rather a deliberate mix of leaner and fattier beef trimmings. Fat is crucial for flavor, moisture, and texture in ground beef. The specific ratio can dramatically change the cooking properties and final taste of a dish. For instance, a higher fat percentage like 80/20 results in a more juicy and flavorful burger, while a leaner cut is better for sauces or casseroles where you don't want excess grease. A skilled butcher can precisely control this ratio to meet customer demand.

What is Strictly Prohibited?

Federal regulations are very clear about what cannot be added to ground beef and hamburger. Under 9 CFR § 319.15, standard "Ground Beef" or "Hamburger" must consist of fresh and/or frozen beef and can include seasoning, but no water, phosphates, binders, or extenders are permitted. This is a key distinction from other beef products, such as pre-made beef patties, which may contain binders and extenders but must be labeled as such. Additionally, U.S. regulations prohibit the inclusion of organ meats, with the specific exceptions for beef heart and tongue, which must be labeled if added. While some manufacturers of other processed meat products might add fillers, a true butcher producing fresh ground beef does not.

Are there any exceptions for specialty products?

Some premium products or restaurant-style patties may include ingredients that act as binders or flavor enhancers. For example, some specialty blends might combine different meats or add things like bacon fat for a different flavor profile. However, if these products contain non-beef additions like breadcrumbs or seasonings in significant amounts, they fall outside the legal definition of standard "ground beef" and must be labeled accordingly, such as "Beef Patties" with an ingredient list. The important takeaway is that for the pure ground beef you buy from a reputable butcher, the contents are transparent and regulated.

Comparison: Ground Beef vs. Hamburger

To help clarify the regulatory differences, here is a comparison table outlining the key distinctions between ground beef and hamburger under federal guidelines:


Feature	Ground Beef (Chopped Beef)	Hamburger
Primary Ingredient	Chopped fresh and/or frozen beef	Chopped fresh and/or frozen beef
Added Beef Fat	May not be added as such. Fat must come from the beef trim.	May be added as such (additional beef fat).
Seasoning	Allowed	Allowed
Binders/Extenders	Not permitted	Not permitted
Added Water	Not permitted	Not permitted
Maximum Fat %	30%	30%
Cheek Meat	Allowed (up to 25%), must be labeled if over natural proportion	Allowed (up to 25%), must be labeled if over natural proportion

How to Get the Best Ground Beef from Your Butcher

For the best results and the freshest product, communicate with your butcher. Ask about the source of their ground beef and if they offer different lean-to-fat ratios. A knowledgeable butcher will be able to tell you exactly which primal cuts they use for their ground products. For the freshest grind, you can even request that they grind a specific cut of meat for you on the spot. This ensures you have complete control over the fat content and cut, resulting in the perfect ground beef for your particular recipe, whether it's for juicy burgers or a lean chili.

Conclusion

What butchers add to ground beef is, in essence, nothing but beef and beef fat, thoughtfully selected and combined to achieve a specific lean-to-fat ratio. The use of high-quality trimmings from various primal cuts is a standard, regulated practice that ensures flavor and moisture. Strict government regulations prevent the addition of fillers, water, or binders in standard ground beef and hamburger, providing a high level of transparency for consumers. By understanding these practices and working with your butcher, you can make informed choices and ensure you get the best possible ground beef for your culinary needs. For further information, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website provides comprehensive details on meat product labeling and regulations. [https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/meat/ground-beef-and-food-safety]

Frequently Asked Questions

While fresh ground beef is available at grocery stores, getting it from a butcher can often guarantee you the freshest product. You can request a specific cut to be ground for you on the spot, ensuring no additives or older meat are included.

No, federal regulations explicitly state that water cannot be added to ground beef or hamburger. The liquid that seeps out of thawed ground beef is natural moisture from the meat.

In standard, legally-defined ground beef, no non-beef products can be added. If a butcher is creating a specialty blend that includes pork, it would need to be clearly labeled as a different product, like a 'beef and pork grind.'

The red liquid that you see is not blood, but rather myoglobin, a protein responsible for the red color in meat. It holds oxygen in the muscle and releases as the meat cooks or thaws.

Ground beef is naturally purplish-red inside. When exposed to oxygen, it turns bright cherry red due to a reaction with myoglobin. The outside turning brown before the center is cooked is normal and is due to a lack of oxygen inside the package.

If the package is labeled simply "Ground Beef" or "Hamburger," federal regulations prohibit the addition of fillers, binders, or extenders. However, for other products like pre-made patties, these ingredients may be used and must be listed.

Look for a bright, consistent red color (unless it's vacuum-sealed, which will be darker). Avoid meat that looks excessively brown, has a sour smell, or feels slimy to the touch. You can also ask your butcher where the trimmings came from.