Notes & News

New term you need to know: “by-product feedstuffs”

Fresh pasture and dried grasses are the natural diet of all ruminant animals. In factory farms, animals are switched to an unnatural diet based on corn and soy. But corn and soy are not the only ingredients in their “balanced rations.” Many large-scale dairy farmers and feedlot operators save money by feeding the cows “by-product feedstuffs” as well. In general, this means waste products from the manufacture of human food. In particular, it can mean sterilized city garbage, candy, bubble gum, floor sweepings from plants that manufacture animal food, bakery, potato wastes or a scientific blend of pasta and candy.

Here are some of the “by-product feedstuffs commonly used in dairy cattle diets in the Upper Midwest.”*

• Candy. Candy products are available through a number of distributors and sometimes directly from smaller plants… They are sometimes fed in their wrappers…. Candies, such as cull gummy bears, lemon drops or gum drops are high in sugar content.
• Bakery Wastes. Stale bread and other pastry products from stores or bakeries can be fed to dairy cattle in limited amounts. These products are sometimes fed as received without drying or even removal of the wrappers.
• Potato Waste is available in potato processing areas, and includes cull potatoes, French fries and potato chips. Cull fresh potatoes that are not frozen, rotten, or sprouted can be fed to cows either whole or chopped. Potato waste straight from a processing plant may contain varying amounts of inedible or rotten potatoes. French fries and chips contain fats or oils from frying operations.
• Starch. Unheated starch is available from some candy manufacturers and sometimes may contain pieces of candy.
• Pasta is available from pasta plants and some ingredient distributors as straight pasta or in blends with other ingredients, such as candy.

*This list is excerpted from “By-Product Feedstuffs in Dairy Cattle Diets in the Upper Midwest,” published by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Eat less feedlot meat

A growing number of people believe that eating less meat is good for the environment. This is true when it comes to eating meat from animals raised in feedlots. But eating meat from well-managed grazing animals is a net benefit to the planet.

A paper released by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture makes the following points:

• Grazing animals eat plants that cannot be digested by humans.
• Meat from grass-fed animals requires only one calorie of fossil fuel to produce two calories of food. Many grain and vegetable crops require from 5 to 10 calories of fossil-fuel for every calorie of food or fiber produced.
• Well-managed pasture absorbs far more rain water than most other land uses.
• Grazed lands help slow global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the air. Grazing land in the Great Plains contain over 40 tons of carbon per acre. Cultivated soils contain about 26 tons.
• Well-managed grazing lands provide much-needed habit for wildlife, reduce water runoff, and provide cleaner, more abundant water for wildlife and human use.
• Grazing lands are among our most picturesque landscapes.

Do you want ammonia with that?

Ring in the new decade with yet another disturbing story about commercial hamburger. A New York Times expose, published on December 30, 2009, revealed that Beef Products, Inc (BPI), a South Dakota meat processor, has been injecting ammonia into “fatty slaughterhouse trimmings” to kill bacteria and render it safe for human consumption.

The USDA has approved this novel process. Indeed, studies conducted by BPI showed the product to be so effective that the government agency exempted BPI products from routine testing. In another bow to the company, the USDA agreed with BPI that the word “ammonia” need not appear on ingredient labels. Instead, it can be described as a generic “processing agent.”

Why does this matter to you? If you eat commercial hamburger, the chances are very good that you’ve eaten ammoniated beef. BPI claims that its processed scraps are used in a majority of the hamburger sold in the United States. Even our kids have been treated to the meat. According to the Times, “The federal school lunch program used an estimated 5.5 million pounds of the processed beef last year alone,” saving an estimated $1 million a year.

There are a number of problems using ammonia to sanitize beef, beginning with the obvious “ugh, yuck” factor; the very idea of sterilizing meat with ammonia is revolting to many. Then there’s the odor. Even though the BPI meat is mixed with untreated meat which dilutes the smell, some consumers have still complained of a gaseous odor. The Times reports that meat buyers for Georgia State prisons rejected 7,000 pounds of the stuff because it had “a very strong odor of ammonia.”

This “odor problem” could explain why some batches of BPI meat have been treated with lesser amounts of ammonia—significantly, not enough to kill the harmful bacteria! Consumers get a product that has a more acceptable odor and flavor, but it’s not safe to eat! Last year, more than 53,000 pounds of BPI meat designated for school lunch programs tested positive for either E. coli or salmonella.

Several USDA microbiologists, including Gerald Zirnstein, have been critical of the USDA’s approval of ammoniated beef. In a 2002 email message obtained by the Times, Zirnstein described the BPI beef product as “pink slime” and said, “I do not consider the stuff to be ground beef, and I consider allowing it in ground beef to be a form of fraudulent labeling.” We at Eatwild concur and suggest that you buy your next pound of hamburger from a local, pasture-based rancher. http://www.eatwild.com/products/

The entire New York Times investigation is worth reading. (Safety of Beef Processing Method is Questioned” by Michael Moss.) Find it online at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html

Meadow Fescue recommended for intensive rotational grazing

A dairy farmer discovers new/old pasture grass, Meadow Fescue. The grass is 4–7 percent more digestible and favored by the cows. Read more: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/2011/mar11/grass0311.htm

Sweet-tasting grasses speed the growth of cattle and sheep and lowers greenhouse gasses

British Agricultural Minister Jim Paice announced the results of a study showing that raising cattle and sheep on high-sugar grasses can lower their greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent.Minister Paice said: “It is very exciting this new research has discovered that simply changing the way we feed farm animals we have the potential to make a big difference to the environment.”

Everyone benefits from the sweeter feed. The ruminants like the taste of the grass and eat more of it. The sugars allow them to make more efficient use of the proteins in the grass. As a result, the animals reach market size weeks earlier, producing less methane overall.

The study was carried out by Reading University and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences. High-sugar pasture grasses are now available for sale.

Score ten for grass-fed beef

Grass-fed beef is better for human health than grain-fed beef in ten different ways, according to the most comprehensive analysis to date. The 2009 study was a joint effort between the USDA and researchers at Clemson University in South Carolina. Compared with grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef was:

1. Lower in total fat
2. Higher in beta-carotene
3. Higher in vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)
4. Higher in the B-vitamins thiamin and riboflavin
5. Higher in the minerals calcium, magnesium, and potassium
6. Higher in total omega-3s
7. A healthier ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (1.65 vs 4.84)
8. Higher in CLA (cis-9 trans-11), a potential cancer fighter
9. Higher in vaccenic acid (which can be transformed into CLA)
10. Lower in the saturated fats linked with heart disease

S.K. Duckett et al, Journal of Animal Science, (published online) June 2009, “Effects of winter stocker growth rate and finishing system on: III. Tissue proximate, fatty acid, vitamin and cholesterol content.”

Mobile slaughter facility offers solutions

On June 3, 2009, the Alaska Meat Company/Sitkinak Cattle Ranch, a grass-fed beef operation on Kodiak Island, announced the opening of their mobile abattoir, a 4-trailer solution to many of the logistical problems that bedevil grass-based producers.

The trailers travel separately. On site, they are configured into an “L shape” and perform all the operations needed to get meat to market. Live animals enter the first trailer where they are humanely slaughtered and inspected by the USDA. The carcasses go into the second trailer, where they are divided into individual cuts or ground into sausage. In the third trailer, the hamburger is seasoned, smoked, and stuffed into sausage casings. The sausages are vacuum sealed and then pressure-cooked to kill all bacteria. The meat is then “shelf-stable” and can be kept without refrigeration. Live animals enter the first trailer and sausage comes out the third.

The abattoir will be fully functional in October, 2009. Father and son team Nathan and Bob Mudd, owners of the Alaska Meat Company, plan to extend their operation to process bison and reindeer—hey! It’s Alaska.

Be a “meat and spinach” or a “meat and red wine” kind of a guy

Eating red meat—but not white meat or fish—is linked with a moderately increased risk of colon cancer. Why is that? Some experts believe that the amount of iron in the food, specifically, a type of iron called “heme” iron, is part of the problem. Red meat has considerably more heme iron than its paler counterparts. Iron is essential for survival, but heme iron can irritate the lining of the colon and set up the preconditions for cancer. Another possible link with red meat and cancer is the amount of oxidized fat in the meat. You create oxidized fat when you grill meat, sear it, or cook it above medium rare.

Do you have to cut back on grilled sirloin steak and lamb chops to lower your risk of colon cancer? Perhaps not. Eating foods high in antioxidants along with the meat could do the trick. Research shows that antioxidants have the potential to neutralize the ill effects of both the iron and the oxidized fat. For example, a 2005 study showed that eating spinach along with red meat eliminated all irritation of the colon. Now a 2008 study reveals that drinking a glass of red wine with your meal could do the same thing. It is likely that other foods high in antioxidants will offer similar protection.

Does eating grass-fed meat also reduce your risk of colon cancer? Meat from pastured animals has more antioxidants than feedlot meat, so it is a distinct possibility. To date, no one has studied this hypothesis.

Gorelik, S., M. Ligumsky, et al. (2008). "The Stomach as a ‘Bioreactor’: When Red Meat Meets Red Wine." J Agric Food Chem.        

De Vogel, J., Denise Jonker-Termont et al. (2005). “Green vegetables, red meat and colon cancer: chlorophyll prevents the cytotoxic and hyperproliferative effects of haem in rat colon.” Carcinogenesis.

Grass-fed beef clearly superior, says German and Canadian study

Yet another study shows that grass-fed meat is nutritionally superior to feedlot meat. This 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.)

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

Antibiotic growth promoters lose money for chicken industry

Many large-scale chicken producers feed antibiotics to their birds to speed their growth. This unnecessary use of antibiotics increases the likelihood that bacteria will become resistant to the drugs, making the antibiotics ineffective for veterinary and human medicine.

Now we know that this much-criticized practice is also costing the industry money. Researchers from John Hopkins examined financial records from a study involving 7 million chickens. Their analysis showed that the antibiotics did indeed speed the growth of the poultry, but the drug use cost the producers more than they gained from the sale of the bigger birds.

Raising chickens without antibiotic growth promoters is better for the birds, consumers, and—surprise, surprise—the poultry industry itself.

Jay P. Graham, et al, Public Health Reports, “Growth Promoting Antibiotics in Food Animal Production: An Economic Analysis.” 122:1, 2007.

Link between hormone implants in cattle and breast cancer?

Grass-fed beef higher in total antioxidants

Researchers in Argentina compared key antioxidants in meat from pasture-fed and grain-fed cattle. The grass-fed meat was higher in vitamin C, and vitamin E, as you can see by the chart below. It was also 10 times higher in beta-carotene.

As a result of this antioxidant bonus, meat from pasture-fed animals is slower to “oxidize” or spoil. It also provides more antioxidants for consumers.

“Influence of pasture or grain-based diets …on antioxidant/oxidative balance of Argentine beef,” Meat Science 70 (2005) 35-44.

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.)

Milk from Grass-Fed Cows Higher in Vitamin E

Cows that get all their nutrients from grazed grass—their natural diet—produce milk with 86 percent more vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) than cows fed a standard dairy diet, according to a study.

The standard dairy diet consists of large amounts of “concentrate,” which is typically a dry mixture of corn and soy. Some organic dairies raise their cows on pasture and supplement them with organic concentrate; others keep their cows indoors and feed them organic concentrate and stored grasses. The more freshly grazed grass in a cow’s diet, the more vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and CLA. Organic Valley is a nation-wide organic dairy that emphasizes grazing.

Leiber, F., M. Kreuzer, et al. (2005). Lipids 40(2): 191-202.

Eggs from Pastured Hens Better for Your Eyes

A report reveals that eggs from hens raised on pasture are higher in lutein and zeaxanthin than eggs from chickens raised in confinement. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are natural substances similar to beta-carotene that protect your eyes from cataracts and a common cause of blindness called "macular degeneration." They may also protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. Read more...

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...

FDA bans use of antibiotic Baytril in poultry

The Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of the poultry antibiotic Baytril, made by Bayer. Many farmers treat their whole flocks with the antibiotic in order to treat or prevent respiratory disease in the birds.

The use of Baytril, claims the FDA, makes it difficult for doctors to treat human patients with food poisoning. When bacteria are repeatedly exposed to antibiotics, they become resistant. When humans eat or handle contaminated meat, they may pick up the drug-resistant bacteria.

Baytril is a member of the class of drugs called fluoroquiolones. This class of drugs, which includes the drug Cipro, is considered valuable for treating serious infections in people. The FDA first proposed the ban against Baytril five years ago.

Mother Nature knows better once again

The concentration of carbon dioxide in our air is rapidly rising, a condition that contributes to the greenhouse effect and potential global warming. The more of the carbon that can be contained in the soil, however, the less that escapes into the air. A report released by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service finds that soil stores 2 to 3 times more carbon when the grass was grazed than when it was harvested for hay or not harvested at all.

Another benefit of grazing, the researchers noted, was that grazing also reduces costs by lowering needs for herbicides and producing income from the livestock. They estimated that even putting as little as 10 percent of existing cropland into rotation with grazing would produce significant cost reductions.

More information is available online at http://ars.usda.gov/is/pr.

More news...

1. It's no yolk, tests show free-range eggs more nutritious
2. Mother Earth News leading the way
3. First native-born case of BSE in US reported
4. Meat protein does not compromise bone density
5. Plea to limit antibiotic use in animal feed
6. Be wary of spring chickens
7. GMO Salmon — Coming to your market soon?
8. Grass-fed beef can qualify as a "good source" of omega-3
9. Women lose more weight on a diet high in red meat
10. Grazing better for the soil than growing grain
11. Rogue proteins and mad cow disease
12. One hundred percent grass-fed ice cream
13. Cows on pasture produce healthier, bigger calves
14. Consumer watch
15. Prions found in sheep muscle
16. It's not the meat—it's the heat!
17. How much garbage is being fed to our livestock?
18. Grazed pasture is the best land use for storing carbon
19. Growing corn and soy causes six times more soil erosion than pasture
20. Ready for the transgenic cow?
21. Alpine milk may be the healthiest of all
22. Pasture reduces topsoil erosion by 93 percent
23. Scientists are trying to clone cows that are resistant to mad cow disease
24. USDA gives consumers a false sense of security about U.S. beef
25. Grass-fed beef goes mainstream
26. A confirmed case of "mad scientist disease"
27. Grass-fed cows are not mad cows
28. More good news about the health benefits of milk from grassfed cows

Read more in the News Archives