Let's not confuse the issues. It's hard to deny that large meat packers are usually dealing with lower-quality meat (perforce, as at that volume the amount of high-quality meat can't satisfy the demand). I've heard stories that larger meat packers are somewhat more cavalier about health and safety too. So yes, it does pay to buy from a better and more reliable source.
But, that source is better a good local butcher or farmer than it is WF. Remember, WF suffers from the same problems as the meat packers - the need for fairly high volume (they're a big, national chain). I don't get the impression, either that WF is particularly selective when it comes to the people manning the meat counters. And yes, you pay probably more than you need to. So the recommendation to seek out Whole Foods as a reliable source is probably ill-advised.
The good local butcher/farmer, however, will be able to sell you good meat. It probably will cost somewhat more than the cheapest bulk brand, but probably less than WF. And you can talk to somebody who actually knows, first-hand, what to look for and how to process the animals.
-- Alex Rast (remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)
