Grass-fed or grain-fed meat? Should we bother knowing the difference? Seems that the question matters on many levels. How our beef is raised and what it is fed on has an impact on its taste, grade, quality, health, and even calories.
Then there is the term “organic” which may be additionally applied to either the “grass-fed” and “grain-fed” labels. To get through the haze of terms, let’s get to the nitty-gritty of how a slab of beef gets from pasture to table.
Grass-fed Cows
In the U.S., grass-fed beef has been grabbing some market attention from the ubiquitous grain-fed meat which has dominated their supermarket shelves for years. One now sees prime and choice cuts with the grass-fed label. Food and health activists have lobbied for the choice and are now seeing their advocacy for healthier meat sources addressed.
Grass-fed cows are what their cognomen implies: cows fed on grass; but, the vital word here is “exclusively.” The grass-fed label applies to meat from cattle that have been fed on grass exclusively from calf to slaughter age.
The grass-fed label has been abused to some degree by some meat producers as much as the term “natural” has been manipulated by marketers for more than a decade. The gray area for this label exists on the fact that all cows graze on grass for six months up to a year of their early lives. Their diets after this period determine whether they fall under the grass-fed or grain-fed categories. If an animal is fed grain after its grass-eating period, it becomes grain-fed meat. If producers however could get away with the grass-fed label, they would, given that the label rings half true.
True grass-fed meat must come from cows that have been raised and “finished” on grass. Fortunately, Australia is home to seventy percent of pasture-raised and finished cattle; so, we have much cheaper and more convenient access to grass-fed meat than other countries, which have to import true grass-fed meat from Australia to augment the produce of pasture-only oriented ranchers.
Grain-Fed Cows
Although calves are raised on grass for a short period, commercial cattle raising requires rapid weight-gaining cows achieved only through a diet of concentrated grain feed. The feeds are typically a mix of corn, husks, cobs, soy and soy hulls, spent distiller’s grains, and cereals. There have been reports though of indiscriminate feeding of other non-cow food ground up in some feeds such as peanut shells, cotton by-products, beet and citrus pulp, and even old candy with its wrappers.
While this may not be a prevalent issue because of the rigorous quality standards on meat produce, the commercial feeding system is laid out with the all-pervading objective being to get beef as fast as possible from feedlot to supermarket freezers. A grain mix diet can spur a cow’s growth to slaughter weight by about a year faster than its grass-fed brethren. Boiled down to economies of scale, that’s a whole year less of feeding costs and time waiting for returns on investment. Grain-fed cattle help to meet market demand which is as important in keeping retail prices affordable.
Organic Meat
The label “organic” may be applied to meat from both grass-fed and grain-fed cattle in Australia. Cattle raised the organic way must have be access to two important criteria: good quality of life and a healthy diet. This means that cows raised in feedlots where they are bunched in small spaces cannot be certified under the organic meat category. Neither may animals that have been force fed or given growth stimulants merit this title. Only ranching methods that follow the 2013 Australian Certified Organic guidelines can have their meat produce certified organic.
The Difference
1. Grade and Meat Quality
Because the feedlot process speeds up a cow’s weight gain, fat marbling on the meat is enhanced. The more fat there is on the meat, the richer the taste. In this case, grain-fed meat usually merits higher grade quality under the USDA rating.
Grass-fed cows are leaner and therefore have less fat. In terms of flavour and texture, the grain-fed lot would have the upper hand as fat is what enhances meat flavour and makes a steak tender. The fat also makes the meat softer so that leaner beef by grass-fed cattle tend to be chewier.
If taste and texture is a problem, one can work around this culinary problem of grass-fed meat by adding butter during the cooking process. Although paradoxical to the whole idea of eating lean beef, adding saturated fat simply gives a robust flavour and succulent texture. Anyway most of the butter does not cling to the beef so perhaps only half a gram is added to the final meat dish.
Organic beef’s grade and meat quality will be dependent on whether the source cattle were grass or grain-fed.
- Nutritional Content
- Higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids
- More balanced ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids. Compared to our diets a hundred years ago, our intake of Omega-6 is significantly higher. Excessive Omega-6 consumption may lead to a lot of health issues such as inflammation.
- More Vitamins A, E, and K and trace minerals like calcium, selenium, and magnesium
- More antioxidants
- Seven times more beta-carotene
- A 170-gram tenderloin cut may contain 92 fewer calories than its grain-fed counterpart. According to the book Pasture Perfect by Robinson, if one eats 67 pounds (about 30 kg.) of beef in a year, choosing grass-fed meat would save you 16,642 calories for that year.
Certified organic meat means that all feeds, be they grass or mixed grain, must be organic as well. Cattle may be given vitamins and minerals but they cannot be treated with antibiotics or growth stimulators. Grass-fed and grain-fed labelled meat come from cows with no such restrictions.
- Price and Accessibility
Grain-fed meat is the most accessible, most affordable, and most common type you can get your hands on in the U.S. Most grass-fed meat are imported from Australia and therefore bear the added cost. Since there are only a few pasture-oriented ranchers in the U.S. (although this is a growing sector), grass-fed meat is also harder to come by.
The same scenario of high price and low availability holds true for organic meat. Getting the “organic” label is actually costly for ranchers and this cost is ultimately passed on to the consumer.
So, Grass-Fed, Grain-Fed, or Organic?
Regardless of the feed used, beef is generally nutritious, being a rich source of protein and other essential nutrients. So you can buy grass-fed, grain-fed or certified organic meat and still know that you are getting the nutrients that beef naturally contain.
For some, however, their best choice is one with the label “grass-fed and organic,” because not only do you get beef from a cow that has eaten its natural food but also has lived a good quality of life (not tethered to a feedlot).
References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846864/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500874
http://www.explorebeef.org/beefchoices.aspx
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/what-is-organic-and-exactly-whats-the-range-of-free-range-20110729-1i3kk.html
