Action 9 investigated a meat-producing secret that could be a health risk.
Many restaurants and grocery stores sell steak that has been glued together.
Action 9's Todd Ulrich found consumers have no clue and researchers at the University of Florida think that needs to change.
It looks like prime steak at a restaurant or grocery store, but instead it is pieces of meat literally glued together, something most consumers never knew.
"If you were ordering a steak, you think it would be cut as a whole steak, not pieces," said Brenda Nixon.
At the University of Florida's food sciences building, researchers showed WFTV how it's done.
Dr. Sally Williams is researching the safety of meat glue.
This process can happen at any restaurant kitchen or meat plant. The glue is transglutaminase, an enzyme that is dusted over pieces of beef. The pieces are molded together, then sealed in plastic and refrigerated.
Six hours later, the stew meat is steak and you can slice it.
And once cooked, it looks like one piece of meat.
The FDA said the glue, an enzyme really, is safe to eat.
"It's broken down in the body as any other protein would be," said Williams.
But added to meat, it can create a risk.
Regular steak, like any meat, can have bacteria on the outside. So when you glue pieces together, now that bacteria can be on the inside.
Williams is researching what cooking temperatures are required to kill internal bacteria like E. coli.
She said ordering a glued steak "rare" could be risky.
"There's a good chance that is not cooked properly because you have a product that is much closer to hamburger," said Williams.
Many consumers would not know they're eating "glued meat." The USDA requires labeling to include formed or reformed on the label and list the enzyme.
"In all honesty it's not. It's not enough for you to make that determination," said Williams.
And at restaurants, there's no way to tell.
Many food experts say it's a common process that's not alarming, but consumers need to know.
"I wouldn't eat it. I would be very disappointed," said Williams.
The Florida Restaurant Association declined to comment.
The American Meat Institute claims consumers are not cheated because you are getting the grade of meat you paid for, just in pieces.
Consumers can most likely find glued meat in cheaper steaks in the frozen section and frequently at banquets, conventions, and larger buffets.
Tell us your consumer complaint online. Go to wftv.com/action9help.
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