If you’ve spent any amount of time raising livestock for meat in the agriculture industry, whether it be chicken, beef, pork, lamb or a little bit of everything, there is a good chance you have run across the terms “grass fed” and “organic.”
Both of these styles of livestock practices have grown in popularity as consumers become more and more interested in sustainably raised food. It can be confusing to determine the differences in these terms, especially if they are used improperly in product marketing, but luckily, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has a clearly defined standard for each.
Grass Fed
While “grass fed” seems like an honest, self-explanatory term, it is often used improperly during marketing to seduce under educated, but well-meaning consumers who are trying to purchase healthier food.
Too often, people label meat as “grass fed” just because the animal received some kind of pasture at some point in its lifetime, even if it was fed other feedstuffs. In order for an animal to be marketed as truly grass fed, there must be no supplemented grains or grain by-products.
“Grass fed or 100 percent grass fed claims may only be applied to meat and meat product labels derived from livestock that were 100 percent grass (forage) fed after being weaned from their mother’s milk. The diet must be derived solely from forage, and animals cannot be fed grain or grain by-products and must have continuous access to pasture during the growing season until slaughter,” explained Sam Jones-Ellard, public affairs specialist for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
He went on to say that “forage consists of grass (annual and perennial), forbs (e.g., legumes, Brassica), browse or cereal grain crops in the vegetative (pre-grain) state. Hay, haylage, baleage, silage, crop residue without grain, and other roughage sources may also be included as acceptable feed sources. Routine mineral and vitamin supplementation may also be included in the feeding regimen.”
Organic
If a product is marketed as being “organic,” the producer must have obtained certification from the USDA.
If the producer has not obtained certification and markets a product as “organic,” they can be subject to a hefty fine.
“Organic certification verifies that livestock are raised according to the USDA organic regulations throughout their lives. Like other organic products, organic livestock must be produced without genetic engineering, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge, and managed in a manner that conserves natural resources and biodiversity,” Jones-Ellard said.
Animal health and natural behavior must also be accommodated for on a certified organic operation. Organic livestock must be:
• Allowed year-round access to the outdoors except under specific conditions (e.g., inclement weather).
• Raised on certified organic land meeting all organic crop production standards.
• Raised per animal health and welfare standards.
• Fed 100 percent certified organic feed, except for trace minerals and vitamins used to meet the animal’s nutritional requirements.
• Managed without antibiotics, added growth hormones, mammalian or avian byproducts, or other prohibited feed ingredients (e.g., urea, manure or arsenic compounds).
Organic livestock must also have shade, clean water, shelter, direct sunlight, fresh air and space for exercise provided at all times.
What’s the meaning?
Grass-fed: Consumers typically don’t know that all cattle spend the majority of their lives eating grass in pastures. Calves start grazing at a young age and are kept on pasture after they are weaned until 12-18 months of age. Then, they are taken to a feedlot or are kept on grass to become “grass-finished.”
Grass-finished: Also called free-range, grass-finished cattle eat only a grass and forage-based diet throughout their whole lifespan. Grass-finished beef is often described as having a distinct taste and may require different preparation methods, including marinades and shorter cooking times.
Natural: The definition of “natural” beef can confuse some consumers. According to the USDA, natural means that a product is minimally processed and contains no additives. By this definition, most beef in the meat case is natural. Many companies are raising beef under “natural” production practices. Common “natural” production claims include, “raised without hormones,” “raised without antibiotics,” “free range” and “vegetarian fed.”
Certified Organic: Certified organic beef must meet USDA’s National Organic Program standards. Organically-raised cattle must be fed 100 percent organic feed, and they may not be given hormones to promote growth or antibiotics for any reason. Certified organic beef can be corn-fed or grass-finished. USDA states organically produced food is no safer or more nutritious than conventionally produced foods. Organic food differs only in the way it is grown, not how it’s handled and processed.
