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Grass-fed Beefiness: a US Consumers Perspective

02 June 2009

The American Grass-fed Clan defines grass-fed as "food products from animals that have eaten nothing simply their mother's milk and fresh grass or grass-blazon hay from nascency to harvest—all their lives", says this University of Wisconsin Extension's guide to grass-fed beef.

Farmers utilize a multifariousness of systems to enhance healthy animals. One new trend in meats is really a return to the way farm animals similar cows, sheep, goats, and bison were historically raised.

Described every bit ruminants, these animals have a iv-chambered stomach. Ruminant animals eat and digest grasses and other plants, like alfalfa—something that humans can't do with their one-chambered stomachs.

Humans domesticated these valuable animals because their unique design allows them to convert grass into flavorful meat and milk. Today, most meat in the grocery shop or at the local restaurant is from animals that were raised in a feedlot and fed significant amounts of grain in addition to hay and pasture.

Grass-fed meat is from animals that are put "out on grass" or fed a provender nutrition. This allows animals to harvest their ain food and dispose of their manure in the pasture. Some farmers combine the apply of grains with pasture; others choose to use pastures only. In 2007, the U.S. Department of Agronomics (USDA) developed standards regarding the definition of grass-fed animals.

These standards state that grass-fed ruminants should consume grass and/or fodder during their entire lifetime, with the exception of milk consumed prior to weaning. The diet should be derived solely from provender, and animals cannot exist fed grain or grain by-products and must have continuous admission to pasture during the growing flavor.

Environmental and health benefits of grass-fed beef

From an environmental perspective, raising animals on pasture has many benefits. High quality, healthy pastures reduce soil erosion, improve water quality (a University of Wisconsin study showed that pastures are the "best" ingather for reducing runoff and erosion), increase plant diverseness, and provide high quality wild animals habitat.

While perhaps not an environmental benefit, many people enjoy the view of greenish, flowing pastures with animals contentedly grazing. A variety of health benefits are associated with grass-fed meats. Grass-fed meat is leaner and lower in fat and calories than grain-fed beefiness. (See table with nutritional information.) Additionally, studies have shown that grass-fed meat contains more than of vitamins A and Eastward, conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), and omega-3 fat acids, all of which have been shown to lower cholesterol and high blood force per unit area, and decrease the risk of diabetes and cancer.

Cattleana Galloway beefiness nutrient content comparison to other cooked meats, per three ounces, trimmed
	*Cattleana pasture- finished Galloway beef loin	USDA Prime Class beef loin	USDA Choice Grade beef loin	Pork loin	Lamb loin	Chicken breast without skin	Chicken thigh without skin
Poly peptide (grams)	27	24	24	26	26	26	22
Fat (grams)	three.5	11.six	8.7	six.6	viii.2	1.3	vii.0
Calories	129	201	175	165	176	119	151
*Cattleana Galloway beefiness was analyzed by UW–Madison Meat Science Department, 1998. (Loin was from multiple samples.)

Grass-fed flavor is a matter of private sense of taste

A pasture-based diet impacts meat flavor. It changes the fat acid content of meat, and grass-fed meats are ofttimes described as more intensely flavored. The following factors may too contribute to flavor differences: breed, historic period, and creature gender; aging of the carcass; diet; and stress factors.

A grass-fed animal may require more than time to achieve marbling than a conventionally raised fauna, and they are more probable to grade choice or select than prime. Locally produced and processed animals do not suffer the stresses of a long journeying earlier slaughter. If an animal is stressed at slaughter, it releases hormones that alter the meat. Too the creature tenses when it is stressed, so the meat will be less tender. Postmortem aging of 7–21 days allows natural enzymes to break down musculus fibers and adds to the meat's flavor and tenderness.

Questions to inquire the producer

Farmers use a variety of product practices to produce high quality meat products, and it is worthwhile to talk to the producers about how their animals are raised. Typically, beef cattle are slaughtered at 18–24 months of age. Grass-fed beef is usually produced without growth-promoting hormones or other additives, but exist sure to inquire the producers almost their production practices if it is of import to yous.

Grass-fed beefiness may or may not be produced with corn. Some pasture-based farms feed a little grain to "stop" the creature. If certified organic beef is a preference, be sure to ask the farmer if he or she is certified for organic production through the USDA National Organic Program. One do good of buying directly from farmers is you tin can talk with them nigh their production practices, develop an agreement of their actions, and learn the reasons for their production decisions.

May 2009

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Source: https://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/1967/grassfed-beef-a-us-consumers-perspective

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