# "Mystery" products which don't explicitly identify what kind they are

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [June 14, 2025, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627 "2025-06-14T14:11:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 7

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627/121 "2025-06-18T16:44:33Z")

</div>

> [@DocCathode](#):
>
> butter is better for you than margarine. If you avoiding butter because of Jewish dietary laws

I said the same thing!  
My wife did not get it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [June 18, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627/122 "2025-06-18T22:25:59Z")

</div>

I’m a meat eater, but I do like to know what species I’m eating before I dig in.

Did you open the can? If so, was it ground or whole, and what cut was it, or could you tell?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2025, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627/123 "2025-06-19T11:34:21Z")

</div>

> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> but I do like to know what species I’m eating before I dig in.

I only want to know this from a certain mordid curiousity. I did once watch a documentary on polony (aka balony) manufacture, which pretty much put me off reclaimed meat sausage even before Mad Cow Disease.

I am a very adventurous eater, usually, even in countries where I don’t understand the menu language - and just point and hope for the best.

Just not polony. I know Spam is pretty similar, and I have eaten that willingly.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2025, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627/124 "2025-06-24T02:41:50Z")

</div>

iits USDA donated pork, you used to get it in “commodities” packages along with the cheese and other things  
it’s ground pork, almost like tuna. What’s scary is the crust of salt that’s inches thick around it

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [June 24, 2025, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627/125 "2025-06-24T06:14:22Z")

</div>

The salt is probably there so it will “keep” longer.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mystery-products-which-dont-explicitly-identify-what-kind-they-are/1019627.md?page=6)