• As our primary line of ground beef, Our Certified is available in a wide range of lean points and source grinds, providing choices for every preference. Sold through select grocery stores nationwide, Our Certified ground beef delivers quality and freshness you can taste in every delicious bite.

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  • Delivering great performance for any application, Skillet Essential® brings great ground beef to the table at a value price. Available in both 73/27 and 80/20 lean points, Skillet Essential is a great choice for any meal from burgers to spaghetti.

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  • Produced regionally to ensure the freshest ground beef possible, Meadowland Farms® ground beef is designed to support your busy lifestyle. Offering a wide range of lean points and source grinds, Meadowland Farms is where fresh meals begin.

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  • While it isn't a brand you're likely to see while shopping, Excel® ground beef represents the majority of the ground beef we deliver. Usually packaged in-store by our retail grocery customers, this is the ground beef you'll most commonly find in overwrapped trays in your grocer's meat case.

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  • There are many more brands in the Cargill ground beef family that you may find at your local grocery store. And all of them promise the same high quality and great flavor you expect from Cargill brands.

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Understanding ground beef packaging

In looking at the ground beef section of your grocer's meat case, you’ve probably noticed ground beef packaged in a number of ways. From the overwrapped foam or plastic trays most commonly used to tube-like, easy-to-store chub packaging, each packaging type offers unique benefits. Understanding each type can help you identify the one that will best fit your lifestyle.

Butcher-cut, re-ground and portioned in-store, overwrapped trays are easily found in your grocer’s meat case.

Tray Overwrap

The most common form of fresh ground beef packaging is overwrapped trays. This package type features air permeable overwrap with ground beef placed on an absorbent pad in a foam or plastic tray, giving it the most limited shelf life of all package types.

Benefits:

  • Comes in a wide variety of lean points and source grinds
  • Great for immediate use and last minute meal planning
  • Visually appealing/can see product
  • Butcher-cut, reground and portioned in-store
  • Appears fresher

Offering:

  • Random weights, ranging from 1 lb. to 5 lb. packages

Refrigerator Shelf Life:

  • Ranging from 2 to 3 days

Freezer Storage:

  • Up to 4 months; must be overwrapped with heavy-duty aluminum foil, freezer paper or plastic freezer bag
Case ready chubs are convenient and economical when buying ground beef in larger quantities.

Case Ready Chub

A case ready solution that comes in a tube-like package and typically includes a wide range of lean points and source grinds that are easy to store and portion.

Benefits:

  • Economical
  • Convenient
  • 1-lb. packages are great for smaller recipes and are easy to freeze
  • Cut marks on packages help with dividing ground beef into appropriate portions and/or freezing

Offering:

  • 1 lb., 2 lb., 3 lb., 5 lb. and 10 lb.

Refrigerator Shelf Life:

  • Up to 21 days

Freezer Storage:

  • Up to 6 months; no need to re-wrap if freezing in unopened chub packaging
Case ready trays ensure ground beef that stays fresher, longer.

Case Ready Tray

This popular case ready solution is packaged and sealed at the plant in a plastic-lidded package to stay fresher longer.

Benefits:

  • Less leaking/less mess
  • Longer shelf life than tray overwrap packaging
  • Visually appealing/can see product
  • Good for stacking in freezer

Offering:

  • 1 lb., 2 lb., 3 lb. and 5 lb.

Refrigerator Shelf Life:

  • Ranging from 3 to 21 days

Freezer Storage:

  • Up to 4 months; must be overwrapped with heavy-duty aluminum foil, freezer paper or plastic freezer bag
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Tried and Trusted Ground Beef

People have been eating ground beef for centuries. Ground or minced beef dates back to the Middle Ages.