近年來，有不少中國火鍋店出售的肥牛片和羊肉卷，其實可能並非真正的牛肉或羊肉，而是使用碎肉加上食品添加劑製作而成的「合成肉」。合格的合成肉在食品安全方面通常不會有明顯問題，但其口感、味道與真正的牛羊肉差距甚大，對追求原汁原味的消費者而言，容易造成誤導與不滿。

面對這種情況，消費者若想在市場上辨別牛羊肉的真假，可以從兩個方面入手。首先是觀察包裝。如果購買的牛肉或羊肉是真正的原切肉，包裝上通常會標註「整切」或「原切」字樣；若包裝上沒有這類標識，很可能是合成肉。其次是查看配料表。真正的牛羊肉，其配料欄中原料一項應該只列出「牛肉」或「羊肉」，不會出現其他添加物。而合成肉的配料欄中，常常會含有食品添加劑、食用膠或其他輔料，用以保持肉片的形狀、口感或延長保存期。

這一現象提醒消費者，在購買火鍋食材或其他肉類產品時，不僅要注意價格和外觀，更應仔細查看包裝標示與配料表，以保障自身的消費權益。同時，也反映出部分餐飲行業在食材選擇與標示上的透明度不足，提醒監管部門需加強市場監督，確保消費者能夠獲得真實、可靠的食品資訊。

In recent years, many Chinese hot pot restaurants’ beef slices and lamb rolls may not actually be real beef or lamb, but rather “synthetic meat” made from minced meat combined with food additives. While properly manufactured synthetic meat generally poses no significant food safety risks, its taste and texture are far inferior to genuine beef or lamb, which can mislead consumers who seek authentic flavor and quality.

Consumers who want to distinguish real beef or lamb from synthetic meat can focus on two main points. First, examine the packaging. Genuine beef or lamb that is cut from whole pieces will usually be labeled with terms such as “whole cut” or “original cut.” If these labels are absent, the product is likely synthetic. Second, check the ingredient list. Authentic beef or lamb will list only “beef” or “lamb” as the main ingredient, without any additional substances. In contrast, synthetic meat often contains food additives, edible gels, or other agents used to maintain shape, texture, or extend shelf life.

This situation serves as a reminder that consumers should not only pay attention to price and appearance when purchasing hot pot ingredients or other meat products, but also carefully review packaging labels and ingredient lists to protect their rights. At the same time, it reflects a lack of transparency in certain segments of the restaurant industry, highlighting the need for regulatory authorities to strengthen market supervision to ensure consumers receive accurate and reliable food information.