Hi,

I read an old thread here which said you cant mail Oxo beef stock cubes from the UK to the US because they contain beef. Is that still the case? Here's the ingredient list from the Oxo website:

Salt, wheat flour, maize starch, flavour enhancers (621,627), colour (150c), Yeast Extract, vegetable oil, flavourings (including beef flavour), autolysed yeast extract, sugar, acidity regulator (270), onion powder, mineral salt (508).

As you can see, no beef. Did the recipe change? Anyone know if it's now ok to mail them?

Thanks

I believe it is still the case that you cannot import anything containing beef in any form which would include OXO Beef cubes, but there are OXO Vegan Beef Flavour cubes that can be imported because they say Meat Free on the box. In any case, realistically there are plenty of alternatives readily available in any supermarkets, why not just use one of them?

Why do you say they contain beef? It's not among the ingredients listed. As to why? Oh, ya know. Old habits die hard. Plus a little nostalgia, that's all.

What would you recommend? The beef stock cubes I've tried dont quite seem to pack the same punch, but maybe I'm just imagining it.

Beef flavour is on the list of ingredients for the Beef Oxo cube, it’s not on the list for the Vegan version even though it has Beef Flavour in the description. You can buy the vegan Beef Flavour Meat Free cubes here but not the regular Beef Oxo Cubes with the beef flavorings. Hey, I don’t make the rules apparently the beef flavoring is a no no.

I am not a gourmet cook, but I’ve lived all over the world and there is almost always a perfectly good substitute for what we are used to in the UK. Part of living outside of the UK is adapting to the local environment.

I use this stuff - https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/p...educed-sodium/

It's very beefy!

I was going to suggest that one, too. I love the chicken one!

Rene

Yes, the chicken one is good too.

Costco has them for a good price if you're a member.

Yes I've seen that stuff but not tried it. Maybe it's time. Or just stick with the Marmite. Haha.

I've been using "Better Than ..." since they came out. Before than, and still in the cabinet for emergencies are my stash of Herb-Ox Beef and Chicken Cubes. Not fussy on Knorr ... too salty.

This is no longer entirely true. I just went to check, and the cbp.gov (US government Customs and Border Patrol web site) refers to more detailed instructions on dontpackapest.com, where the following advice can be found: I brought a sealed "can" (microwave-safe sealed bowl) of Fray Bentos steak & kidney pudding back to the US at Christmas without any issues. As Oxo cubes are commercially packaged, labeled, I assume cooked, and are certainly "shelf stable", I don't see any problem in bringing them into the US.

Please note, as explained on the cbp.gov web site: I.e. These rules do not cover products mailed or shipped.

I seem to remember the problem taking any product containing the slightest trace of beef into the US, was due to mad cow disease. I think the restrictions have now been lifted.

Nay. If only you really knew what else goes into those cubes the than a minute quantity of beef, you would sign the pledge and give them up on the spot.

As 90% vegetarians, we use Maggi vegetable powder for all our 'flavoring'. Whether from your local supermarket or even Aldi, it's made in Germany, where the food laws are among the strictest in the world. Contains entirely pure ingredients.

Maggi also makes cubes but we haven't used those, so I will keep my mouth shut about them.

A tablespoon of Maggi powder plus a little low salt soy sauce or even Marmite, and voila! you have 90% as good near-beef flavor.

As un-Aussie as this will seem, we tend to avoid Vegemite in cooking as (a) it is no longer made by an Australian company, and (b) nowadays it tastes like an oversalted industrial product.

You can buy them from multiple places online which specialize in British goods in the US.

Although for most recipes I would use a local equivalent, I do still have a soft spot for using OXO occasionally. Golden Syrup as well - even though the equivalents are normally fine.
It's part of embracing a new culture, but still remembering where we came from.

And it's a very poor substitute (for Marmite)!