Grass-fed Beef Clearly Superior, Says New German and Canadian Study

Yet another study shows that grass-fed meat is nutritionally superior to feedlot meat. This newest study examined the differences in fat content between four breeds of cattle that were either 1) raised on pasture or 2) given grain and other feedstuff in a feedlot.

As in previous research, the results showed that meat from cattle raised on pasture had much healthier fats. The researchers concluded that grass-fed meat is “clearly superior” and “remarkably beneficial.”  They stated that grass-fed meat “should be promoted as an important part of a healthy balanced diet.” Read the study summary.

(Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, June 2008, 56:4775-4782.) 

More Meat Packing Plants Charged with Inhumane Treatment

The abuse of cattle at the Hallmark/Westmark Meat Packing Company (see below) is not a rare event, according to the USDA. The agency’s recent audit revealed inhumane treatment in 4 out of 18 slaughter plants.

One plant was cited for inadequate stunning, which meant that some animals were conscious at slaughter. Another got black marks for overuse of “hot shots,” electric stunning devices used to control the cattle. Overcrowding and the use of high-powered hoses earned demerits for two additional plants.

The audit was part of the heightened USDA surveillance of packing plants following the Hallmark/Westmark abuses.

United Press International, April 9, 2008

The Grass-Fed Paradox

Grazing animals that eat their native diet of grass have more polyunsaturated fat in their meat than animals fed grain and other types of foodstuff. This is one of the reasons that grass-fed meat is better for your health. But polyunsaturated fats are prone to oxidation and oxidized meat can have a rancid or “off” flavor, and the meat spoils more quickly. It was long thought that grass-fed meat would suffer this fate.

But new studies show that grass-fed meat is less likely to oxidize than ordinary feedlot meat. Why? The answer is that there are more antioxidants in grass than grain, and these protective substances keep the polyunsaturated fat from oxidizing. When you eat meat from a grass-fed cow, you are consuming more polyunsaturated fat, more antioxidants, and the meat is less likely to spoil.

Mercier, Y., P. Gatellier, M. Renerre (2004). "Lipid and protein oxidation in vitro, and antioxidant potential in meat from Charolais cows finished on pasture or mixed diet." Meat Science 66: 467-473.

Hallmark Animal Abuse Update

On February 4th, the USDA suspended operations at the Hallmark Packing Plant in Chino, California, the plant that has been accused of abusing sick and injured dairy cattle. (For more information, see posting directly below.) 

Meat from the Hallmark plant supplied meat for the National School Lunch Program, the Emergency Food Assistance Program and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. 

Suspending operations at Hallmark is not going to stop similar abuse at other slaughter facilities. Clearly, the present safeguards are inadequate. You can express your concern by emailing your government representatives. (Go to www.congress.org for a quick and easy way to find the names of your representatives and their email links. Enter your zip code in the box in the upper left hand side of the page.) In your emails, refer to the “Hallmark Animal Abuse.”

Caught on Film

On January 30th, the Humane Society of the United States released a video showing extreme animal cruelty at the Hallmark Meat Packing Co. in Chino, California. Among other atrocities, the video shows sick and injured cattle being shoved by forklifts, kicked in the head, and shocked with electric probes in an effort to get them to stand up.

“Downer” cattle—those that are too sick or lame to walk—have been banned from human consumption since 2003. A Swiss study found that downer cattle are 49 to 58 times more likely to have mad cow disease (BSE) than ambulatory animals. Apparently, the workers were attempting to get around this ruling by forcing the animals to stand up. Click here to see a portion of the video. Warning: the video shows extreme abuse.     

Humane Slaughter

Ranchers who raise their cattle on grass from birth to market do not send their animals to large slaughter houses such as the Hallmark Meat Packing Company where extreme cases of abuse were recently documented. (See post directly above.) Instead, they slaughter the animals on the farm or take them to small, independent slaughter facilities.

Ranchers who drive their grass-fed cattle to an abattoir go to great lengths to keep the animals calm. Some bring along cattle that are not earmarked for slaughter to give the animals the comfort of being with their herd mates. Many ranchers watch the entire slaughter process to ensure that their animals are being treated humanely every step of the way. 

Some ranchers practice “field slaughter.” In this case, they approach the animal out on the pasture, making sure not to trigger alarm. Then they kill it with a bullet to the head. The animal dies instantly and has no opportunity to experience pain. Other ranchers contract with a specially designed mobile slaughter facility that comes to the farm and manages the entire process from killing the animals to preparing the carcass for the aging process.

Typically, a grass-based ranch has fewer than 150 animals, and the owners can identify each animal by sight. Their goal is to make sure all the animals are well fed and cared for and do not experience unnecessary stress at any time of their lives.

To find a pasture-based rancher in your area, click here. Ask the farmers about their slaughtering protocol.

Read Jo Robinson’s Article in Mother Earth News

The February/March issue of “Mother Earth News” features a persuasive article about unsavory feedlot practices written by Eatwild.com’s creator, Jo Robinson.

Read “What You Need to Know About the Beef You Eat” online, or purchase the magazine at a newsstand. You may also e-mail hhunt@motherearthnews.com for an electronic copy of the article as a pdf file complete with illustrations. Individuals may print up to 300 copies of the article for distribution.

Eatwild.com Logs Over 3.25 Million Visits

As we begin the New Year, eatwild.com has logged over 3.25 million visits. Most of our visitors have been from the United States, but a growing number are from countries as far-flung as Iceland and South Africa. There is a growing interest worldwide in raising animals humanely on food that approximates their native diets in a manner that protects the environment and supports local farmers. Go Grass!

The USDA Proposes a “Naturally Raised” Label

On November 28, 2007 the USDA published a new standard for the label, “Naturally Raised.” According to the proposed standard, meat, eggs and dairy products are “naturally raised” if they come from an animal that: 1) was not treated with antibiotics, hormones or other growth promoters; and 2) was not fed by-products from mammals or poultry. According to USDA research, many consumers object to these practices, which are commonplace throughout the United States. 

We find the proposed label misleading. A package of “Naturally Raised” steak as defined by the USDA could come from a cow that was confined in a feedlot for six months; fattened on GMO corn, candy and stale pastry; and was forced to stand knee-deep in its own manure.

We prefer a more wordy but accurate label: “Raised without Antibiotics, Hormones, or By-Products from Mammals or Poultry.”  Such a label would help consumers avoid unwanted chemicals and practices but not imply that the animal was raised under natural conditions. 

You can comment on the proposed label until January 28, 2008.  To read more about the label or register your comments follow this link.

Keep ‘Em Moving to Reduce Greenhouse Gasses

All ruminants—including cattle, sheep, bison, and goats—belch up a significant amount of methane gas as they digest their grass-based diet. Methane gas is a potent contributor to global warming, so reducing methane production is an important step in protecting the environment.

Animal scientists have discovered that dividing pasture land into separate areas or “paddocks” and carefully managing the movement of cattle through those paddocks produces the highest quality grasses. Cattle that graze on this succulent grass produce as much as 20 percent less methane. This style of ranching is called “Management Intensive Grazing” or MiG, and it’s practiced by most of the ranchers on eatwild.com.

DeRamus, H. A., T. C. Clement, D. D. Giampola, and P. C. Dickison. "Methane Emissions of Beef Cattle on Forages: Efficiency of Grazing Management Systems." J Environ Qual 32, no. 1 (2003): 269-77.

Long-Lived Cows Reduce Global Warming

Bossy has a short lifespan when she is raised in a confinement dairy, which is the way most cows are raised today. She provides a very high volume of milk, partly due to hormone injections and a high-grain diet, but she lasts for only 2-3 years. Then infertility, disease, physical problems, or inflammation end her milking career, and she is sold at auction for hamburger.  

Cows raised on grass are healthier and more fertile, making them good milk producers for up to twelve years. These long-lived and more contented cows may reduce greenhouse gas production (methane) between 10 and 11 percent according to a British Study.

Garnsworthy, P.C., The environmental impact of fertility in dairy cows: a modeling approach to predict methane and ammonia emissions, Animal Feed Science & Technology, 2004. 112: 211-223.

What Do the Russians Know That We Don’t Know?

Effective November 1, 2007, Russians will no longer import poultry products from 17 U.S. processing plants. The reason? The plants don’t measure up to their health and safety standards.

This summer, the Russian Federation Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service audited dozens of facilities around the country and found that the following plants failed to meet their minimal standards:

• Choctaw Maid Farms, Forest, MS.
• Sanderson Farms, Hazlehurst, MS.
• Sanderson Farms, Collins, MS.
• Mountaire Farms, Selbyville, DE.
• Tyson Foods, Carthage, MS.
• Fieldale Farms, Murrayville, GA.
• Nordic, Atlanta, GA.
• Peco Foods, Bay Springs, MS.
• Sylvest Farms, Montgomery, AL.
• Tyson Foods, Clarksville, AR.
• Americold Logistics, Montgomery, AL.
• Americold Logistics, Charlotte, NC.
• Millard Refrigerated Service, Richland, MS.
• Stanford Refrigerated Warehouses, Macon, GA.
• Greko, Cumming, GA.
• Simmons Foods, Siloam Springs, AR.

The USDA is investigating the Russian claims.

Do you know where your poultry comes from? Ask your store manager.

(Alicia Karapetian. Poultry News, 10/19/07. www.meatingplace.com)

Huge Recall of Feedlot Hamburger

The Topps Meat Company recalled 27.1 million pounds of hamburger on October 1st due to possible contamination with dangerous E. coli bacteria. The E. coli outbreak, the second largest in history, covers an eight state area. To date, there are a number of confirmed illnesses and more than 20 people suspected of having been sickened by the meat.

Nine brands of meat are involved. If you have any hamburger in your freezer with a sell-by date between Sept. 25, 2007 and Sept. 25, 2008 and a package number of 9748, throw it away.

Large meat companies such as Topps combine meat from hundreds of cows in one giant vat of  hamburger. The bacteria is so virulent that E. coli from a single animal can contaminate the entire batch. Then, if the equipment is not thoroughly cleaned, traces of bacteria can contaminate all the batches processed that day. In this case, government inspectors investigating the case saw sanitation problems that led to the ban of meat processed over a prolonged period of time.

Free Range Eggs Nutritionally Superior

As it turns out, all those choices of eggs at your supermarket aren't providing you much of a choice at all.

Recent tests conducted by Mother Earth News magazine have shown once again that eggs from chickens that range freely on pasture provide clear nutritional benefits over eggs from confinement operations.

Mother Earth News collected samples from 14 pastured flocks across the country and had them tested at an accredited laboratory. The results were compared to official US Department of Agriculture data for commercial eggs. Results showed the pastured eggs contained an amazing:

• 1/3 less cholesterol than commercial eggs
• 1/4 less saturated fat
• 2/3 more vitamin A
• 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
• 7 times more beta carotene

Full results of the tests are available in the October/November 2007 issue of Mother Earth News, or on their website at
http://www.MotherEarthNews.com/eggs. Check Eatwild's Pastured Products Directory to find free-range eggs near you.

Hold the Heat. Get more Calcium.

You absorb more calcium when you eat raw milk yogurt, according to a new study in the Journal of American College of Nutrition.

Forty adult volunteers alternated between eating raw and pasteurized yogurt. The researchers reported that “circulating calcium markedly increased one hour after the fresh yogurt intake, while no changes were detected after the pasteurized [yogurt.]” This was true for people who had no difficulty digesting milk and those who were lactose intolerant.

To find a supplier of raw milk yogurt, enter the word “yogurt” in the Search Site in the left margin of this page.

Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 26, No.3, 288-294. 2007

Corn Prices Too High?
Feed the Animals Candy Instead

The growing use of corn for fuel has doubled the price of corn for animal feed. Typically, corn comprises about 70 percent of the diet of animals raised in confinement. To offset the spiking cost of corn, many feedlot managers are replacing some of the corn with candy and other “junk food” that has been declared unfit for human consumption.

According to an article in The Wall Street Journal, this sugary, fatty fare includes banana chips, yogurt-covered raisin, cookies, licorice, cheese curls, frosted wheat cereal, Tater Tots, Kit Kat bars, uncooked French fries, pretzels and chocolate bars. One feedlot operator from Idaho confesses that he feeds his cattle a 100 percent “by-product” meal.

Grass, the native diet of grazing animals, is a rich source of protein, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. Has anyone measured the nutritional value of meat from junk-food-fed cows? Candy may be cheap, but it’s cheating consumers out of meat’s natural nutrition. Consider grass-fed, instead.

“With Corn Prices Rising, Pigs Switch to Fatty Snacks” Lauren Etter, Wall Street Journal, May 21, 2007.

Pizza Dough and Tetracycline

In an interview with a former manager of a cattle feedlot, Eatwild has learned of an extreme example of raising cattle on junk food. In this particular feedlot, the cattle were fattened on stale pizza crust that the owners purchased from a wholesale bakery for only a penny a pound.

The pizza dough was then mixed with powdered tetracycline, an antibiotic that is not approved for use in cattle because it is important for human medicine. Adding low (subtherapeutic) levels of antibiotics make cattle eat more and gain weight more rapidly. 

On this junk food and drug diet, the cattle put on as much as four pounds a day, a remarkable rate of growth. The end result was more money for the feedlot, more abuse of medications that are important for human medicine, and more meat of questionable quality for an unsuspecting public.

The degree to which American cattle are being fed junk food and off-label drugs is not known.

Farm Milk Linked with Lower Rate of Asthma and Allergies

A large European study of nearly 15,000 children revealed that drinking farm milk rather than commercial milk is linked with a lower risk of asthma and allergies.

Children who drank farm milk at any time of their lives had a 26% lower risk of asthma, 33% lower risk of pollen sensitivity, and a remarkable 57% lower risk of food allergies. This was true for children who lived on a farm and those who lived in the city and drank farm milk.

It was not clear from the study whether the reduction in risk was due to the fact that the milk was unpasteurized or the fact that the farm milk came from grazing cows. Milk from cows raised on pasture has more omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other nutrients that may reduce the risk of allergies.

Clinical and Experimental Allergy. Volume 37, pages 661-670. 2006

Cheap Meat: An Accident Waiting to Happen

The latest fiasco in the U.S. livestock industry is that 20 million chickens, thousands of hogs, and an unknown number of farmed fish have been raised on feed contaminated with melamine, the chemical that made headline news when it got into pet food and sickened tens of thousands of cats and dogs. According to the USDA, meat from hogs and chickens fed melamine has already entered our food supply.

How did this happen? The story begins in China. Melamine is an inexpensive by-product of the coal industry. In a deceptive practice, Chinese producers have been mixing melamine with certain feed ingredients in order to inflate their protein content. (Melamine is not a protein and has no food value, but it mimics protein on standardized laboratory tests.) Melamine costs less than true sources of protein, so the manufacturers make more money.

The story continues in the United States. In order to lower the cost of production, U.S. pet food manufacturers have been importing cheap protein meal from China. Unbeknownst to the manufacturers, recent shipments have been spiked with melamine. As a result, thousands of pets became sick or died.

Now we get to the pigs, chickens, and fish. A common cost-cutting practice in the livestock industry is to supplement animal feed with floor sweepings and other remnants from pet food plants. The sweepings contain enough meal to offer some nutritional value. But recently, the sweepings have also been laced with melamine. In this serpentine fashion, a toxic chemical that was first added to pet food found its way to our very own tables.

The USDA does not foresee any health consequences from eating melamine-spiced pork, poultry, and fish. Hopefully, this will prove to be true. But as long as we feed our animals on a “least-cost” basis, we risk a host of problems, ranging from minor contamination with an industrial chemical to mad cow disease. The solution is to raise our livestock on their native diets or on quality ingredients that match their original diets as closely as possible. We are what our animals eat.

Federal Ruling To Allow Meatpackers to Test for Mad Cow Disease

A federal judge ruled on March 29, 2007 that the government must allow meatpackers to test their meat for Mad Cow Disease.

The ruling came in a case brought to the courts by Creekstone Farms, which raises cattle in Kentucky and has a processing plant in Kansas. Creekstone wanted to test all of its animals for the disease in order to open up sales in Japan and other strict markets, but was threatened with prosecution by the Agricultural Department if they did so.

The Agriculture Department currently regulates the tests, which it administers to about 1% of all slaughtered cows. Many large meat processors opposed the increase in testing because they feared that market pressure would force them to test all their cows as well.

The federal district court judge put the order on hold until June 1st when the ruling will take affect unless the government appeals.

Oops! Feed Mix-Ups Can Kill

Recently, nine feedlots in Canada ordered chicken feathers to feed their cattle and farm-raised deer. This is standard practice in many factory farms. Feather meal is cheap and high in protein and speeds the animals’ growth.

Due to a mix-up, however, the Saskatchewan feedlots received meat and bone meal instead—food that has been outlawed as ruminant feed because it has the potential to spread Mad Cow Disease. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency must now decide whether or not to slaughter all 8,000 animals.

When grazing animals are raised on their native diet of grass and green plants, there is no need to worry about deadly shipping errors. The animals eat what they are designed to eat, creating a safe supply of meat for consumers.

A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows a strong link between breast cancer and red meat consumption.

Women who ate 1 ½ or more servings of red meat a day were almost twice as likely to have “hormone-sensitive” breast cancer as women eating 3 or fewer servings a week. Eating red meat had no link with “hormone-negative” breast cancer.

The exact cause is unknown, but the investigators suggest that the wide spread use of hormone implants in cattle could play a role. An earlier test-tube study showed that adding an FDA-approved hormone implant called “Zeranol” to human breast cancer cells caused a rapid spurt in growth. This was true even when the levels of Zeranol were three hundred times lower than the amount the FDA considers safe.

Hormone implants are banned in the European Union. If you want beef free of added hormones in the United States, look for 100 percent grass-fed beef, organic beef, or beef labeled “raised without added hormones.” If you are buying directly from a farmer, ask about hormone use.

Arch Intern Med. 2006; I 66:2253-2259.

Three Times More CLA in a Grass-fed Hamburger

A lean hamburger from grass-fed cattle has two and a half times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than an equally lean hamburger from cattle raised in a feedlot. CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a healthy fat that has been shown to fight obesity, cancer, and diabetes in lab animals. Human studies are now underway.

“A literature Review of the Value-Added Nutrients Found in Grass-Fed Beef Products.” Nutrition Journal, June 2006 (In Press.)

More Mad Cows. Less Government Testing

The third case of mad cow disease in the United States was confirmed in an Alabama cow on March 13, 2006. Mad cow disease, or BSE, can cause a brain-wasting disease in humans. The only known source of disease transmission among cattle comes from feed contaminated with tissue from an infected cow. Grass-fed cattle eat fresh pasture and stored grasses only, virtually eliminating the possibility of mad cow disease.

Prior to the identification of the first case of BSE in 2003, the FDA was testing only 55 cows a day. Following the discovery, it increased its surveillance to 1,000 cows a day. Now, the FDA is proposing to test only 110 cows a day, which is one tenth of one percent of the number of the animals being consumed.

Japan tests every cow for BSE. Following slaughter, a portion of each animal’s brain is given a rapid test for the disease. The carcasses are kept in cold storage until the test results are known. The Japanese government has adopted this stringent practice to assure the health of the public and to restore consumer faith in the government’s ability to safeguard the food supply. FDA take note.

Union of Concerned Scientists Extol Benefits of  Grass-Fed Beef and Dairy

On March 8, 2006, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a non-profit alliance of more than 100,000 U.S. scientists, released an 80-page report on grass-fed beef and dairy products. Summarizing the report, author Dr. Kate Clancy said "When you eat grass-fed meat, you're getting beef with benefits. There are no losers in producing cattle entirely on pasture. Farmers win, consumers win, the environment wins, and even the cattle win."

Visitors to eatwild.com are well-acquainted with these themes. The significance of the UCS report is that it gives pasture-based farming the seal of approval of a highly regarded group of scientists who are devoted to promoting the health of Americans and the environment. The report committee surveyed dozens of published studies before arriving at their conclusions. The bottom line, according to their investigation, is that raising animals on pasture:

•  Decreases soil erosion and increases soil fertility
•  Improves water quality
•  Improves human health due to reduced antibiotic use
•  Improves farmer and farm worker health
•  Improves animal health and welfare
•  Results in more profit per animal for producer
•  The report also validates the fact that products from pasture-raised animals are  lower in total fat, and higher in omega-3 fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linolenic acid), vitamin E, and beta-carotene.

Read the report in its entirety.