Preservation of micronutrients in the separation of fat and lean from beef

A method for separating fat from lean while minimizing the loss of micronutrients from the lean, comprising:

• creating a chilled aqueous saturated fluid with micronutrients by combining water with beef;
• after creating the aqueous saturated fluid, combining a mixture of fat particles that are a majority of fat, and lean particles that are a majority of lean, with the saturated aqueous fluid, wherein a density of the fluid is greater than a density of the fat particles, and wherein, prior to being mixed with the particles, the fluid is saturated with one or more micronutrients found in beef;
• performing separation of the fat particles and lean particles by contacting with the aqueous saturated fluid, and the aqueous saturated fluid reduces loss of micronutrients present in the lean particles when in contact with the lean particles;
• collecting the fat particles separate from the lean particles by causing the fat particles to rise in the fluid;
• and
• collecting the lean particles with saturated aqueous fluid, and then separating the lean particles from the aqueous saturated fluid.