What to Look For When Buying Meat

SustainLane
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Are you craving that juicy hamburger or sizzling grilled steak, but not sure if meat is safe for you and your family? There is good news. Responding to consumer demand, many farmers and ranchers are now raising their animals more sustainably, with healthy feed and no hormones or antibiotics. Whether you shop at a traditional grocery store or buy your meat fresh from the farm, you have many safe, healthy, sustainable choices.

Labels to Look For

As you cruise through the meat aisles today, you’ll find a variety of labels. Meats labeled “organic,” “grass-fed” or “pasture-raised” are healthy alternatives to the conventional feedlot-raised, grain-fed meat that has been the industry standard since the 1950s. Increasing concerns about meat processing practices, chemical additives and food safety have boosted the market for more natural, eco-friendly products.

Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed

What’s the difference? The important distinction is that animals live in pastures, not feedlots. But “Grass-fed”—or “pasture-raised”—also means that animals were likely raised without the use of antibiotics, hormones or feed with animal by-products. Ranchers in the grass-fed market tend to be good land stewards, concerned with proper grazing techniques, and nurturing of native grasses.

Organic Beef

Beef certified as organic must follow strict USDA guidelines. Animals must be given organic feed, are provided access to pasture and are not treated with hormones or antibiotics. Also, slaughter and production must take place in a certified facility.

Natural Beef

According to USDA label laws, “natural” meat products must be minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients. Many natural producers eschew the use of antibiotics or growth hormones and avoid feed grown with chemicals. Unlike organic, the "natural" label does not require a certification process. Look for brands that are antibiotic- and hormone-free, with animals raised on a 100% vegetarian diet and fed no animal by-products.

Sustainable Poultry

Demand for natural, humanely-raised poultry is on the rise. “Organic” chickens must be fed certified organic feed for their entire lives. Poultry labeled as “free-range” must have access to outdoor pens and be allowed to roam and forage freely. “Natural” poultry is raised without antibiotics or growth enhancers.

Sustainable Pork

Looking for the other white meat? Consider sustainable pork. Like beef ranchers, many pork producers are returning to more natural farming methods—free of antibiotics, hormones, feed additives or preservatives. A movement toward pasture-raised hogs under sustainable farming conditions is underway, bringing back pork’s natural pink color and old-fashioned flavor and texture.

Like beef, “organic pork” must be raised under USDA-specified humane conditions, including access to the outdoors and safe living quarters. Organic pork farmers must manage manure so it doesn’t contribute to crop, soil or water contamination, and optimize the recycling of nutrients. “USDA-natural pork” products must be minimally processed, with no artificial coloring agents or preservatives.

Learn More

For information on pasture based farming, visit Eat Wild.

For more meat buying information, visit the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

The Organic Consumers Association has information on organic food to GMOs.

For information on humanely raised meat, visit Certified Humane.

For quick facts, visit the Pastured/Free Range Poultry Fact Sheet.

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