From a butcher that grinds it in front of you? sure. Frozen patties from the average cheap supermarket ? You might have less than 70% meat, and some of it might be from sick horses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_horse_meat_scandal
You're implying that this somewhat isolated incident (which, if you see the causes, seems to be related to cross-border mistranslation of words and relabeling issues) is cause to assume that every piece of ground beef you buy at a store is garbage. Seems like quite the leap of logic to me.
> beef from France 75%, water, rehydrated pea protein 3.5%, vegetable fiber, alcohol vinegar, natural flavors, dextrose, starch, dehydrated red beet, salt, pepper.
What exactly is wrong with those ingredients lists, especially the first one? Those all look like standard things you would put in a burger patty (egg, salt, herbs, spices) with the addition of the usual preservatives and other agents to help them being a burger patty shape.
The stuff that's subbing other protein blends in... well, that seems unrelated to the beef content there. You're just picking crap patties.
When I think of beef patty, I think of buying ground beef and then making my own. It's literally as simple as salt, spices, maybe an egg, and some simple prep. No worry about pea protein or soy protein additives.
What ends up in a lot of supermarket patties is the leftover of all the other "higher quality" meat parts, you get stuff like https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aponeurosis &c. which don't exist in regular minced meat. We even have a term for these in France, "minerai de viande", literally "meat ore", back in the days it mostly went to the trash or for animal food. Some products are so processed that they can't be legally named "meat" but "meat preparations"
If labeled as a "Hamburger," it can contain all beef or beef and beef fat. Other permitted ingredients include dry seasonings like spices and flavorings. Water (and other liquids) and fillers (like breadcrumbs and flours) are not permitted. Products including these ingredients may be called "Beef Patties" and the added ingredients must be listed on the label. https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Can-hamburger-meat-contain-ot...
For the US, obviously. You sound like you may be in another country.
So, then make your own patties like I suggest then? Also, meat preparations seems like an accurate term for something like a patty that contains herbs, spices, and possibly egg ingredients. Nothing nefarious there to my mind.
> So, then make your own patties like I suggest then?
Sure, but look at what people buy ... the "meat bad" argument (the start of this conversation) comes from the fact that people are allowed to consume absolute garbage. A steak from your local farmer hasn't much to do with your cheap supermarket bacon or the "51% meat" patty which are both much more processed and contains god knows what
It very much depends where you get it.
From a butcher that grinds it in front of you? sure. Frozen patties from the average cheap supermarket ? You might have less than 70% meat, and some of it might be from sick horses: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_horse_meat_scandal