1 year, 7 months ago
What is the difference between beef that is certified "natural" and beef that is certified "organic"?
I have recently started purchasing local meat and dairy products. I am noticing a big difference in the pricing of beef from different producers in the area. Some producers sell directly to the public, while other local beef is available from area meat markets, processors, and butcher shops. Most of the local beef that I have found is labeled or advertised as "natural," but there is a premium price for beef and other meat products that are labeled "organic."
I have always thought of organic as applying more to fruits and vegetables, but I can't quite comprehend how this would apply to meat products. I am sure this has something to do with government or other agency standards and seemingly ambiguous definitions, but can anyone explain to me in layman's terms exactly what the difference would be? I don't want to pay that much more for organic beef unless there really is that much of a justified reason.
I have always thought of organic as applying more to fruits and vegetables, but I can't quite comprehend how this would apply to meat products. I am sure this has something to do with government or other agency standards and seemingly ambiguous definitions, but can anyone explain to me in layman's terms exactly what the difference would be? I don't want to pay that much more for organic beef unless there really is that much of a justified reason.
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M$2 Answers
In order for something to be labeled "organic", there are strict guidelines. For plants, it means that no chemicals of any kind have been used on the land for 3 years prior to the harvest, and there can be no additives that are not also organic. For meat products, it means that the animal received no feed that is not also organic. And importantly, it means no GMOs are found in it, anywhere along the line.
There are no guidelines to "natural". Most people *think* it means that whatever it is, there are no artificial ingredients. For example, meat would have no preservatives; prepared mashed potatoes might consist of potatoes, salt, dried onions and butter.
However, because there is no legal definition, manufacturers can use "natural" to mean anything they want. Those mashed potatoes could also contain MSG disguised as "food starch", which sounds like something perfectly reasonable to be found in mashed potatoes.
When I can, I look for beef that's been pasture-fed, exclusively. No grain, ever, even if it's organic grain. This is because feeding grains changes both the fatty acid profile of the meat, and because it also changes the culture of the cow's gut, making it more likely the cow has had to have antibiotics for illness. Regardless of whether it gets into the meat, i don't want to encourage that.
What I do to make it affordable is to buy a quarter of a cow with friends, and then split it up in 3-4 equal portions. We each get maybe 30-40 lbs. this way (finished weight, after skinning, hanging, etc.) costing around $3-$4/lb. for true pastured, organic meat. This amount will fit in the freezers of most fridges, and is a lot more affordable than having to either spend $10/lb. for pastured meat at the market for the cheaper cuts, or having to spend more than $1,000 and own a freezer to buy a whole cow. I've been doing this around 7-8 years now.
There are no guidelines to "natural". Most people *think* it means that whatever it is, there are no artificial ingredients. For example, meat would have no preservatives; prepared mashed potatoes might consist of potatoes, salt, dried onions and butter.
However, because there is no legal definition, manufacturers can use "natural" to mean anything they want. Those mashed potatoes could also contain MSG disguised as "food starch", which sounds like something perfectly reasonable to be found in mashed potatoes.
When I can, I look for beef that's been pasture-fed, exclusively. No grain, ever, even if it's organic grain. This is because feeding grains changes both the fatty acid profile of the meat, and because it also changes the culture of the cow's gut, making it more likely the cow has had to have antibiotics for illness. Regardless of whether it gets into the meat, i don't want to encourage that.
What I do to make it affordable is to buy a quarter of a cow with friends, and then split it up in 3-4 equal portions. We each get maybe 30-40 lbs. this way (finished weight, after skinning, hanging, etc.) costing around $3-$4/lb. for true pastured, organic meat. This amount will fit in the freezers of most fridges, and is a lot more affordable than having to either spend $10/lb. for pastured meat at the market for the cheaper cuts, or having to spend more than $1,000 and own a freezer to buy a whole cow. I've been doing this around 7-8 years now.
source(s):
http://www.ota.com/definition/quickoverview.html
http://www.westonaprice.org/farm-a-ranch/448-splendor-from-the-grass.html
jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/78/11/2849.pdf
http://www.ota.com/definition/quickoverview.html
http://www.westonaprice.org/farm-a-ranch/448-splendor-from-the-grass.html
jas.fass.org/cgi/reprint/78/11/2849.pdf
videos:
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M$
"The organic label is a marketing tool.”
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/feb01/s021501a.asp
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/feb01/s021501a.asp
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M$
You said something here that I think is key: "If they are aware of the whole pastured movement and are familiar with the jargon".......Bingo! I think that is the biggest part of it. I am a member of the Oklahoma Food Co-op. When you look through the price lists for beef, there is a huge price difference among many farms. Although most of these people probably really do have "natural" beef, and even a large number of them could possibly have "organic" beef, there are still many that are unfamiliar with both the movement and the terminology.
I think in order for beef to be certified organic, the pastures and grasses have to be tested. There may even be some paperwork to be filed and some sort of fee. I honestly do not know what is required, but I still think there are a lot more of these small farmers that are probably selling "organic" beef and don't even know it. I bought 20 pounds of beef this Saturday from a neighbor for $50. I like their meats because they are raised practically right next door to me, but I think they could be getting a lot more for them. They told me that they had asked for more in the beginning, but too many people around here thought that the higher prices were ridiculous. They were comparing their grass-fed, hormone-free, all-natural beef to what you find from a large commercial farm in the grocery store. It is not just the farmers that still need to be educated, it is also consumers.
About five or six years ago, many people around here were trying to get out of the cattle business altogether. No one could make any money because it was hard to compete with these large corporate farms. A lot of people switched to raising Boer goats because of the increased demand for goat meat from Latin American, Caribbean, and Muslim immigrants. I never raised cattle, but I did get started in Boer goats about this same time. Right now, goat meat is still more profitable in this area, but cattle is making a comeback. Cattle ranchers had to change the way that they do business, and that transition is still taking place. Small farmers are no longer taking their animals to the sale barns for slaughter or resale to larger operations. Instead, they have found a way to sell directly to the public and make a lot more money from it. This is what is keeping these small farms alive.
Yes, Oklahoma has a lot more animal products than food crops. If you go up into northwestern Oklahoma, there is a lot of wheat, but that is about the only portion of the state that still grows food crops. Food crops and cotton were once plentiful all over the state. Pecans and peanuts still do pretty well in a lot of river bottom areas. Grape orchards are something fairly new here, and Oklahoma wineries are beginning to take off. For the most part, though, beef cows, meat goats, chickens, and hogs dominate the agricultural market. My son asked me the other day what the difference between a farmer and a cowboy was. I laughed, and I said, "Around here, there really isn't much difference at all."
You're lucky to live in Oklahoma! I'm in Indiana, where we do have plenty of beef farmers. If you go to a health food store or the grocery, to buy pastured beef, you're going to pay $10/lb. for even the cheap cuts, although if you're buying confinement-raised beef, it will be more like $2-$3/lb. for hamburger and flank steak (and other tougher cuts). Going straight to farmers, you can get whole cows for as little as $1-$2/lb., and it's probably mostly grass-fed. If they're aware of the whole pastured movement and know the jargon, they may be charging three times that, but also keep "open farms", where you can drop by anytime and see exactly how they're raising the cattle; walk into the barn and see if you spot any feed sacks. The farmers I use do not even use grain to lure the cows into the barn. The open-farm policy is really important to me and to the people in my food-buying club, because we really want to be sure. And at the groceries and health food stores, you just can't trust what the label says, sometimes even on health foods. Unfortunately there have been cases in the last 5 years or so when what was supposed to be "free range" chickens were still inside, but with no cages, or what was supposed to be "milk from free range cows" meant the cows could see daylight but were still in a feedlot. Unless I *know* how the animal is being raised, I don't trust the label. You and I live in states where, with a little legwork and gas money, we can find out, but it can be harder for those in places like Manhattan. It would be great if labeling could be accurate, but unfortunately there's a lot of money and ideology at stake. Or at steak. :-)
I think you're probably in a different situation where you are than most of the country. I'm in a couple of large forums for people interested in things like this, and I've felt often that I'm lucky where I live because beef is so inexpensive here. But we're up to our ears in corn and soy here, with a healthy sprinkling of animals. From my trips to Tulsa, I think it may be more tipped towards animals where you are.
I am buying this beef from local producers, all of which are small, family-owned operations. Yes, there are many of these small farms that still feed cattle cubes and other forms of processed feeds, but the ones that use the term "natural" on their packaging and in their advertising all say that they use no growth hormones, no steroids, and that their animals are all pasture-fed or grass-fed. This is why I am confused. There are very few beef producers in this area that can even offer "organic" beef, but when I read that what is being sold as "natural" beef is also grass-fed cattle with no added steroids or hormones, I can't see that there is any difference. Does this mean that the cows were not fed "organic" grasses? I know a lot of cattle ranchers around here, and I know that they seldom, if ever, spray fertilizers or pesticides of any kind on pastures where animals are raised. With that in mind, a label of "organic" for beef products just seems kind of absurd to me. I would think that all beef that is grass-fed and not injected with steroids, antibiotics, and growth hormones would be "organic."
(In terms of antibiotics, I know that it is not possible for a successful cattle herd to NEVER have any injections whatsoever. Antibiotics help fight off infections, but cattle raised in commercial feedlots and those that are moved around more often are more likely to contract bovine diseases and illnesses. Commercial cattle operations for both beef and dairy production often involve excessive amounts of antibiotics in order to keep animals healthy. Whereas, animals that are raised in smaller operations with more room to roam very seldom need antibiotics at all and are less prone to other disease and conditions.)
I also occasionally buy a side of beef or a half of a side of beef, but my reasons for doing this have nothing to do with cost. Where I live, it actually costs more to buy a cow and have it processed than it does to buy commercial beef at the grocery store. (Oklahoma is abundant with beef and bullshit ;-) When you compare grass-fed beef that is found in some supermarkets to the cost of doing this, it equals out to about the same amount. I do it because it is local beef that is usually grass-fed and there is less risk of meat that has been injected with hormones or steroids. There is also the benefit of convenience. I don't have to run to the store as often, and I only paid $75 for my freezer (used).
You mentioned that beef costs $10 a pound where you live. Around here, you can get a pound of ground beef for about $2.25, and the price of sirloin is not much more. Grass-fed beef will cost you about a dollar per pound more, but it is harder to find in supermarkets and grocery stores here (usually only in health food stores or meat markets). On average, the cost of beef per pound here is about $3, considering all cuts. When I buy meat in bulk from the processor, it is about $4-5 per pound for a quarter side of beef, $3-4 per pound for a half a side of beef (This is the "quarter of a cow" that you are referring to.), and $2-3 per pound for a side of beef. Only if I buy an entire side of beef can I actually get local, grass-fed beef for about the same price that I would pay in the grocery store, so I am not really saving any money.
You might find this article of interest.
http://onlygrassfed.com/grocery-store-labels.html
The USDA stamp doesn't carry much credibility with me.
I believe you hit the nail on the head when you say;
" It is not just the farmers that still need to be educated, it is also consumers."
The more a person looks into the beef market the more they will find that the marketing and labeling is very misleading and flawed, as it is in most of our food chain.
The best course of action is for people to take responsibility to educate themselfs and to follow the path of the food their put into their systems.
Unfortunately this can be quite difficult for many people to do.
These "Organic" labels for the most part are nothing more then marketing ploys to benefit the pockets of of the greedy and they really don't care about your health.
The only way that a person can be sure that what they are getting is what they want is to follow the procedure from their mouth all the way back through to the originating source.
Only small areas have these so called parental guidelines. In most places it is let the buyer beware.