Grass Fed Beef
There is no such thing as a USDA certified “Grass Fed” food label for beef. At least, not since January 12, 2016 when the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS—a branch of the USDA) withdrew the claim. But why would they do away with it, especially when it was so well supported by both cattle raisers and consumers?
In a press release sent out by the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, it was explained that the AMS did not believe that the Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS—yet another branch of the USDA) would approve the label. Fred Hoefner, Policy Director for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, was quoted in the release saying: |
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“It is both sad and true that these two USDA agencies often do not coordinate, and worse yet that in some cases FSIS has looked the other way, allowing particularly unscrupulous meat companies to abuse the USDA standard.” However, Hoefner said that bridging the gap in communication would’ve been a better solution than getting rid of one of the very few food labels that actually had benefits.
While it was effective, from 2007 to 2016, the grass fed label described beef from animals that, from weaning until slaughter, lived on a diet of only grasses and forages. There is surmounting science that suggests grass fed beef is nutritionally superior to beef from cattle that ate grain at any point in their lives. Here is some of it:
Beef.” Nutrition Journal, BioMed Central, 10 Mar. 2010.
World Journal, Hindawi, 16 Feb. 2016.
While it was effective, from 2007 to 2016, the grass fed label described beef from animals that, from weaning until slaughter, lived on a diet of only grasses and forages. There is surmounting science that suggests grass fed beef is nutritionally superior to beef from cattle that ate grain at any point in their lives. Here is some of it:
- “Several studies suggest that grass-based diets elevate precursors for Vitamin A and E, as well as cancer fighting antioxidants such as glutathione (GT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as compared to grain-fed contemporaries. Fat conscious consumers will also prefer the overall lower fat content of a grass-fed beef product.”
Beef.” Nutrition Journal, BioMed Central, 10 Mar. 2010.
- “A number of scenarios involving improvements in human health can be envisioned by including more and more lean grass fed beef into the diets of U.S. citizens.”
- “More than 70% of beef produced in Argentina is still produced in pasture-based systems… Adequate management of beef production systems would constitute one of the major tools to improve beef quality in a sustainable way. Argentinean production systems… have demonstrated an improvement of beef healthiness, minimizing several negative effects associated with beef consumption, while containing the environmental impact.”
World Journal, Hindawi, 16 Feb. 2016.
Advantages that grain-fed beef has is that the cattle take less time to mature, using less resources including overall food input, water, and land. Grain fed beef has over 30% more protein per cut of meat. From a consumer’s point of view, grain fed beef may be more desirable because it’s often described as tastier, more tender, and more attractive in appearance, and of course it costs less.
One gray area in the argument between grass fed and grain fed is which one releases less greenhouse gases. It makes sense that, because grain fed cows live shorter lives, they spend less time emitting methane. However, there is some research that suggests the high-fiber diet of forages alters DNA in the rumen, decreasing the amount of harmful gas they expel. More research is needed to know if that alteration to their digestive system makes a big enough difference to counteract their longer lifespans. |
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It’s important to realize that the term “grain-fed” is slightly misleading because almost no cattle in the US eat exclusively grain. In fact, over 99% of beef cattle in America live out to pasture for most of their lives. They may receive supplemental grain feedings (ie, my family poured cubes to our cattle twice a week for most of the year), but the majority of what they eat is grass and hay. Beef from these cattle wouldn’t have been labeled grass fed because, although the majority of their diet was forages, they regularly consumed small amounts of grain throughout their lifetimes.
Although the USDA no longer defines the term, they still regulate the label and approve animals before they go to market. However, with no formal definition, farmers are free to develop their own standards, and it’s impossible for a USDA employee to identify an animal’s diet beyond the past month at most just by looking at them.
To fill in this gap, several private bodies have made their own definitions and allow farmers to certify their beef with that company. These include associations like American Grassfed and Animal Welfare Approved. Instead of USDA labels, meat that fits the criteria set by these companies will have that company’s personal label (pictured below in order they're mentioned).
Although the USDA no longer defines the term, they still regulate the label and approve animals before they go to market. However, with no formal definition, farmers are free to develop their own standards, and it’s impossible for a USDA employee to identify an animal’s diet beyond the past month at most just by looking at them.
To fill in this gap, several private bodies have made their own definitions and allow farmers to certify their beef with that company. These include associations like American Grassfed and Animal Welfare Approved. Instead of USDA labels, meat that fits the criteria set by these companies will have that company’s personal label (pictured below in order they're mentioned).
So, today, when you buy grass fed beef, it’s important to double check who’s version of grass fed you’re buying into.