While this is disgusting, it's not that hard to avoid. For one, any meat that is stamped USDA Organic is forbidden to use meat glue.

Also, while they say it's impossible to detect, it appears to me that applies to "meat only" cuts, such as filets or ground beef (and why would you even need meat glue in ground beef?). It would be pretty hard to fake a T-bone steak, for example.

In a cursory web search, I found this report, showing several popular stores have at least publically claimed they don't use meat glue, including Publix (which is about the only chain where I will buy meat).

Unfortunately, the glue is not the only problem with meat. Far from it. More worrying to me are the feeding standards, hormones, and slaughtering standards for factory meat. It gets worse every year as the industry tries to wring every last cent of profit out of our system.

Sometimes Publix has grass-fed beef on sale for no more than twice the price of the cheap stuff. That's actually not too bad, in my opinion. I have noticed that when you buy grass-fed beef, there is less loss due to "cook-down", as the weight of what you are buying isn't artificially inflated with water and fat. I try to buy grass-fed beef even in small quantities when possible if it is on sale, as a way to send a consumer message.

Of course, I think it is still better to raise and butcher your own, or buy from a local trusted source. Or hunt your own venison, wild turkey and wild hog, which is possibly even better for you.