# "juice" or blood in packaged beef?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juice-or-blood-in-packaged-beef/32235>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 6, 2000, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juice-or-blood-in-packaged-beef/32235 "2000-09-06T15:40:19Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2000, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juice-or-blood-in-packaged-beef/32235/21 "2000-09-09T02:07:46Z")

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and prevents nasty anaerobic bacteria from eating my london broil bewfore I do.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juice-or-blood-in-packaged-beef/32235/22 "2001-08-14T11:16:12Z")

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Just because I’d hate for anyone to think _I_ was in denial, here’s something I found while reading Russ Parsons’ _How to Read a French Fry_ (page 221):

> [@](#):
>
> Though the red meat juices are frequently mistaken for blood, in reality they are simply watery solutions from within the protein cells and fibers. Real blood is removed from the veins of the animal at the slaughterhouse. These watery solutions look like blood because they contain hemoglobin and myoglobin, which are also components of blood.

Looking back over the original replies, I’d have to say **labdude** had the right answer first.

I still lay claim to giving the first wrong answer, however. And that should count for something. 😃

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**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juice-or-blood-in-packaged-beef/32235/23 "2001-08-14T11:49:25Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> The water vapor that condenses on the inside of the packaging.

Ahhhh. I see, a _condensate_. I had visions of, well, condensed water. You know, a reduced volume.

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**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\
**Post date:** [August 14, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/juice-or-blood-in-packaged-beef/32235/24 "2001-08-14T14:55:38Z")

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I work with people who think that the red stuff is “juice”.

They also can’t believe the little wholes in the ham slices are veins and arteries.

They also deny that they are eating muscles.

Just what do you think you are eating, folks? Like, when you eat a chicken wing…your like eating the wing of a chicken…veins and stuff…skin too.

VERY TRUE RESEARCH BELOW…

I KNOW THIS LEADS TO SOME CONFUSION: IF YOU READ THE INSTRUCTIONS ON A FROZEN PAKCAGE, ESPECIALLY CHICKEN, THE INSTRUCTIONS TELL YOU TO COOK THE MEAT UNTIL “THE JUICES RUN CLEAR”

🙂 People are nuts. I love people for this reason. People are stupid. I hate people for this reason.

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