Steak-umm facts for kids
Steak-umm is a brand of thin-sliced frozen meat. It is made by The Steak-Umm Company, LLC. You can find Steak-umms in supermarkets across the United States. People often use them to make homemade Philadelphia-style cheesesteak sandwiches. The company says it is "the best-known sandwich steak brand in America." They also say they helped make the "Philly Cheese Steak" popular across the country over 40 years ago. The company also makes frozen hamburger patties. These come in "Original" and "Sweet Onion" flavors.
Steak-Umm has been owned by different companies over the years. These include Gagliardi Bros., H.J. Heinz, and TriFoods International. In 2006, a company called Quaker Maid Meats bought the Steak-Umm brand. They also bought all the rights to its name and ideas.
History of Steak-umm
The idea for Steak-umm came from a food expert named Eugene Gagliardi. He invented the product in 1968. He also created popcorn chicken. At that time, Gagliardi worked for his family's meat company. It was called Gagliardi Brothers and was in West Philadelphia. He wanted to make a softer kind of steak for sandwiches.
In 1975, the Steak-umm company officially started. It operated from a meat factory in West Chester, Pennsylvania. A friend of Gagliardi's came up with the name "Steak-umm." In 1980, the company was sold to H.J. Heinz for $20 million. Heinz then sold Steak-umm under its Ore-Ida frozen foods brand.
In April 1994, TriFoods International, Inc. bought the Steak-umm brand. Eugene Gagliardi had started TriFoods International. The company then moved from Pennsylvania to Pomfret, Connecticut. On May 22, 2006, Quaker Maid Meats bought the rights to the Steak-umm brand. They now make the product in Reading, Pennsylvania.
In July 2009, Steak-umm sued a Philadelphia grocery store. The store was also a sandwich shop called "Steak'em Up." Steak-umm said the name was too similar to theirs. This is called trademark infringement. In 2012, a judge decided in favor of "Steak'em Up." The judge said the two businesses were not direct rivals. He also found no strong proof that customers were confused by the names.
How Steak-umm Is Made
Inventor Gene Gagliardi explained how Steak-umm is made. First, beef is put through a grinder many times. Then, it is mixed and shaped. After that, it is frozen. Finally, it is softened and sliced very thin.
In the 2012 lawsuit, Judge Lawrence Stengel described the product. He said it is "chopped and formed meat product." It is made from beef trimmings. These are pieces of beef left over after the main cuts are removed. The chopped meat is pressed into a loaf shape. Then it is sliced, frozen, and packaged. Steak-umm is sometimes used instead of chipped beef.
Steak-umm on Twitter
In 2017, Steak-umm started a fun campaign. They wanted their Twitter account, @steak_umm, to get a blue checkmark. This checkmark shows that an account is verified. They used the hashtag #VerifySteakUmm. They got their verified status on January 15, 2018.
The Twitter account became even more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many brands started using a more casual and funny style on Twitter. The Steak-Umm account began posting inspiring messages and jokes. It even had some playful arguments with famous scientist Neil DeGrasse Tyson. People have studied why the account became so popular.
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