What Does 'Organic,' 'Grass-Fed,' and 'Natural' Really Mean? Explaining Common Meat Labels

 

With new health trends joining the market faster than merging onto your local, interstate highway, it can be quite the challenge to wrap your head around the latest and greatest terminology. Regularly, the idea of what to eat, what not to eat, what is healthy and what isn't is being changed, updated, or completely reinvented, causing your regular grocery store trip to turn into a science fair project where you must carefully evaluate each label to ensure you're up to date with the freshest information.

 

Deciphering product labels can be a daunting experience, especially when each product comes with a million claims about why it's the latest and greatest option out there.

 

Organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, natural phrases may sound like they describe the same idea. Still, in reality, the difference between grass-fed and pasture-raised is quite significant. Each comes with its own set of benefits as it does drawbacks.

 

So, which meat should you be buying?

 

This post will discuss the main differences between the commonly used terminology and clarify the possibly misleading claims, so you can return to crafting your perfect dinner dishes in no time.

Naturally Raised vs. Pasture-Raised

 

Naturally raised meat and pasture-raised meat seem to evoke the same image in the majority of the consumers; after all, isn't pasture-raised natural and vice versa?

Doesn't logic imply that if a cow were naturally raised, it would spend its days grazing the fields and basking in the sunshine?

Unfortunately, the answer to that is no.

 

The official definition of "natural meat" is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Per the USDA, "natural" meat products equate to minimally processed or products processed in a way that does not alter the product on a "core" level, without any artificial ingredients.

 

This definition does not mention any statements on how the animal is raised and where it sources its food. According to the USDA's definition, natural beef would be meat that does not contain any unnatural coloring or additives.

 

It is important to note that "natural" is an unregulated claim and is open to interpretation by the farmer and the consumer. Naturally-raised cattle can still be given hormones or antibiotics and still be considered "natural" per the guidelines since there are no limitations to what the animal can and cannot consume.

What about pasture-raised beef? Let's shine some light on this ambiguous term.

 

Pasture-raised boils down to where the livestock gets a significant portion of their nutrition. If the cattle can freely graze the pasture for at least part of their lives, they are considered to be pasture-raised. 

Does that mean that pasture-raised beef is better?

 

In some ways, yes, in others, not necessarily.

 

Pasture-raised cows get a large chunk of their nutrition from grazing the fields; however, pasture time is limited to a few months out of the year in most colder climates. At all other times, when the grass is scarce and temperatures low, the farmers may supplement the cattle's diet with grain and other food such as corn, which can contain GMOs.

 

Organic vs. Grass-Fed

 

Now that we've established that pasture-raised and naturally-raised meat can often be misleading, let's get into the organic vs. grass-fed debate.

 

When browsing your local meat aisle, you're probably able to point out the organic and grass-fed products, primarily due to the drastic price difference between them and the good ole regular meat. What about this meat that justifies the higher price tag? Isn't pasture-raised beef also grass-fed?

 

Firstly, let's address the difference between pasture-raised and grass-fed. Terms often used interchangeably can lead to confusion.

 

As we've discussed previously, pasture-raised cattle spend a good portion of their time grazing the field and eating their natural food source – grass, however, in months where the grass isn't readily available due to seasons changing, pasture-raised cattle has their diet supplemented with grain, corn, and other foods.

 

Grass-fed animals, on the other hand, eat only their mother's milk upon birth, followed by grass for the remainder of their lives. Whether it is fresh grass from the pasture or dried grass in the form of hay, the cattle do not stray from their natural food source, resulting in healthier and leaner meat.

 

In summary, grass-fed describes WHAT the cows eat, while pasture-raised emphasizes WHERE the cows feed.

 

While grass-fed doesn't immediately imply that the animals are pasture-raised, in the majority of the cases, grass-fed animals spend a portion of the year grazing the fields, making them both grass-fed and pasture-raised.

What About Organic?

 

Perhaps the biggest distinguisher between organic, grass-fed, naturally-raised, and pasture-raised meat is that organic is the only regulated label from the lot. Organic farms must follow strict USDA guidelines to obtain the organic certification, which can take several years to receive.

 

So, what makes organic beef so unique?

 

Organic meat must meet several standards that other meat does not. One of the most critical guidelines for organic meat is that farmers raising organic cattle cannot use any pesticides in the food they're being fed. Additionally, they cannot use pesticides or harmful chemicals on the farm itself. This point is especially beneficial for grass-fed organic cattle. It prevents the spraying of harmful toxins on the grass that the cattle feed on.

 

Cattle raised on an organic farm are not limited to consuming grass; however, the food they consume must also be certified organic, thus preventing the use of cheap, low-quality, and GMO ingredients in the feed. Additionally, the cattle cannot be injected with any growth hormones or antibiotics.

 

One of the most important things to remember is that the label 'organic' only refers to what the animal has consumed; it does not indicate what happens to the meat during processing. This means that the meat may have additional colorants or products (spices, sauces, marinades, etc.) added to the final product, unlike all-natural meats.

 

Which Meat Is the Best?

 

The answer to that will vary greatly depending on your definition of high-quality. 

What does healthy mean to you?

 

Healthy for us combines the strictly regulated organic farming practices and prevention of the use of harmful toxins with cattle's natural food source, grass.

By combining organic and grass-fed, you can ensure that the meat you're consuming was in no way treated with artificial hormones, antibiotics, and the cattle were feeding on grass that is free of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.

Meat produced by Vermont Natural Beef combines organic and grass-fed, resulting in only the highest quality of beef produced ethically and sustainably that considers the well-being of the farmer, consumer, and most importantly, the cattle from which it comes.

 

Considered the crème de la crème of beef, organic grass-fed meat is at the top of the pyramid regarding nutrition and taste.

 

Try it and taste the difference