When it comes to whipping up a quick and easy dinner after a long day, most of us are looking for shortcuts that don’t compromise on taste or health.

That’s why ready-made options like Woolworths’ fresh meatballs are such a popular pick for busy Aussies—especially when you’re trying to avoid the dreaded 'meat hands' from rolling your own!

But as one Aussie mum recently discovered, convenience can sometimes come with a hidden cost.

Milliee, a mum of two, was doing her usual shop at Woolies when she decided to take a closer look at the ingredients in a tray of their $8 fresh beef and lamb meatballs.

Normally, she admits, she wouldn’t bother checking the label. But with her husband on a new diet, she’s started paying more attention to what’s actually in their food.

An Aussie mum was shocked to find a long list of 20 ingredients, including additives and preservatives, in Woolworths’ ready-made beef and lamb meatballs. Image source: @itsjustmilliee / Tiktok.

What she found left her gobsmacked: a whopping 20 ingredients, including sulphite-containing preservatives, dextrose, and food acids.

'Am I naive because I thought meatballs were just like mince and egg?' she asked in a video posted online that quickly struck a chord with hundreds of viewers.

The comments came thick and fast, with many echoing her surprise. 'Why do they have to add all the other stuff?' one person wondered. Another said, 'I refuse to buy meatballs or burger patties anymore. They’re so easy to make without all the weird additives.'

So, what’s really going on with our supermarket staples? According to paediatric dietician Karina Savage, food has changed dramatically over the past few decades.

Source: @itsjustmilliee / Tiktok.​

'They use additives and preservatives to enhance taste and make them last longer, and colours to make them more visually appealing,' she explains. 'With taste, they might add more flavour enhancers to get around adding more salt so they still get their star rating and can appear to be healthy.'

It’s not just meatballs, either. Karina points out that many products in the ‘fresh food’ section—think meat pies, kebabs, sausages—are packed with additives and preservatives.

'The shorter the list of ingredients, the better,' she advises. 'If your grandmother doesn’t recognise one of the ingredients, then it’s probably not good for you and should go back on the shelf.'

Why all the additives? It’s a mix of shelf life, taste, and appearance. Preservatives like sulphites help keep food fresher for longer, but they can also cause issues for some people, including wheezing, hives, and stomach upsets.

And while Australia’s food standards do regulate what can be added to our food, Karina warns that just because something is allowed doesn’t mean it’s always the healthiest choice—especially when we’re eating more processed foods than ever before.

So, what’s a savvy shopper to do? Karina’s advice is simple: 'Check the label and try to avoid things with colours, preservatives, and additives. The cleaner we can eat with whole foods, the better.'

Inspired by her discovery, Milliee decided to ditch the pre-made meatballs and make her own from scratch.

'I’m just going to buy mince and make my own meatballs,' she said, relieved to find that the only ingredient in her packet of mince was, well, mince. 'Learn something new every day, wild!'

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Key Takeaways

• An Aussie mum was shocked to find a long list of 20 ingredients, including additives and preservatives, in Woolworths’ ready-made beef and lamb meatballs.
• A paediatric dietician explained that many pre-made supermarket foods—such as meatballs, pies and sausages—commonly contain additives, preservatives and flavour enhancers to improve shelf life, taste and appearance.
• Some additives, like sulphites, can cause negative health effects for certain people, and overall it’s recommended to choose products with shorter ingredient lists made of recognisable whole foods.
• After seeing the ingredient list, the mum decided to make her own meatballs at home using just mince, saying 'the cleaner we can eat with whole foods, the better.'

Have you ever checked the label on a 'fresh' supermarket product and been shocked by what you found? Do you prefer to make your own meals from scratch, or do you rely on ready-made options for convenience? We’d love to hear your thoughts and tips—share your experiences in the comments below!

 

[Leenie]

Proves fresh is better, surely people aren’t that useless they can’t make their own ,at least you know what you eating .

 

[darrellh]

That is why they do say fresh is best and why so many today have so many problems from all the additives and preservatives in foods. With meatballs etc you can probably make plenty and put batches in the freezer for other meals. I know it is convenient for a lot of busy mums but if you stop and think about it and every few days make a big meal, slow cooker casserole for eg then you have extra you can freeze and it's quick and easy to put on. Once you get in the swing you will be laughing.

 

[June E]

I hope people wake up and stop buying this rubbish make your own so much healthier and our bodies don’t need those addatives !

 

[7777]

There are so many people who are born healthy or just dont get sick so easily. However, even the healthiest person can fall sick these days, simply by eating foods that contain so many additives , sugar, preservatives, sodium and artificial colouring. These addatives can be found in cakes, cans of food, processed meats, biscuits, drinks and many more foods. Just read the label on the product, that has the list of ingredients to see the numbers of addatives in the product. Sometimes I think that the big Pharma' companies who are the the billionaire medication manufactures, work hand in hand, with the producers of foods that contain all kinds of toxic addatives. That way the big Pharmas can be sure that their medications will bring mega dollars, because of the adverse health effects that are caused by addatives to the foods. Good health is priceless. Make your own meals using fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, and keep your family members and yourself safe.

 

[Jest]

no not naive, just stupid. make your own.

 

[Veggiepatch]

Don't dare check the additives put into "wellness" products or you will die from a cardiovascular event.

 

[Cairn]

I make a large batch all at once cook them all then freeze them, very convenient -meat hands no more by wearing food prep gloves too. Only one lot of washing up too.