‘Literally cried’: Woman moves from area with Publix to Boston. Then she buys meat at Costco, Trader Joe’s, Walmart and notices something strange

Protein is an essential part of many Americans’ meal prepping. Whether it be salmon slabs from Trader Joe’s, pork chops from Wegmans, or sirloin steaks from Costco, on average, most U.S. shoppers are purchasing a form of protein for their meals every single week. 

But one Boston woman has had trouble finding high-quality options in her area. Content creator Alyssa Rausch (@alyssarausch2) posted a video discussing how, despite purchasing a variety of meats from three different grocery stores, she always ends up with meat that smells of “fermented vinegar disgustingness.” The woman asked her audience whether there was a meat distribution issue in her area. 

As of this writing, her post has more than 1,500 views.

Is there an issue with meat distribution in Boston?

In Rausch’s video, she said she has had issues with Costco, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s products. Rausch said that her Costco products were all spoiled. She decided to go to Trader Joe’s, where she bought ground beef that “ was like rubber.” She purchased Perdue ground chicken from Walmart only to notice there were still feathers in the packaging. 

Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t appear to be an issue with Boston. The grocery stores and retailers Rausch named generally have different distributors. Costco, for instance, built its own poultry system. Walmart also has its own vertical operation for meat production. And while both companies have named distributors such as Tyson Foods that are the same, both corporations have relied less on major distributors for meat products in recent history.

Some Costco’s beef products are shipped to the United States from other countries. A majority of beef products are shipped domestically from the Harris Ranch Beef Company in California. In contrast, Trader Joe’s purchases its meat products from undisclosed suppliers such as “Kayem Foods, Teva, and Empire,” according to Mashed. 

So why is all of Rausch’s food spoiling? Well, it’s possible it’s not even the meat. Rather, it might just be a refrigerator or freezer. 

While a refrigerator having cooling issues may not be able to explain purchasing ground chicken with feathers still attached, it can explain some of the “fermented vinegar” smells and tastes Rausch has noticed. Few refrigerator dials show the actual temperature in a fridge, which can make it tricky to realize if a fridge is cooling properly. Meat can begin to go bad if sitting at room temperature for more than two hours, and even if a fridge is cooling, it may not be at an FDA-recommended temperature for food safety. 

@alyssarausch2 Literally Boston what is going on? #publix #wegmans #walmart #costco #traderjoesfoodreviews ♬ original sound – Alyssa Rausch

What did viewers say?

Viewers generally recommended alternative grocery stores, although they noticed a dip in quality from certain companies and distributors. One person, for instance, told the content creator to try Sprouts. Another mentioned Wegmans. Then, some viewers told Rausch to go to local butchers rather than Costco.

“I wouldn’t order meat from any of those places. Go to a local grocery store/butcher,” one viewer said.

A few commenters said that Rausch needed to purchase air-chilled chicken rather than purely organic.

“Only buy air chilled chicken… ‘organic’ no longer means anything,” one viewer said. “Definitely not the same chicken we’re used to. Also I never used to wash chicken and now it has to be washed with vinegar and lemon.”

Then, some viewers noted that they’ve been avoiding purchasing meat at the grocery store due to quality control issues.

“All meat is so scary,” one viewer said. ”I find myself buying fish more often these days. Seems like they’re leaving fish alone.”

The Mary Sue reached out to Rausch via TikTok direct message for comment.

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