Organic products include fruits, vegetables, eggs, meat and other items that have more than one ingredient. The important thing is that you understand how organic meat is prepared so you can get only the freshest and healthiest choices available. The meats can include organic beef, organic chicken, turkey, lamb and many others. You will realize that you get more of the healthy stuff without the added risks posed by preservatives.
About Organic Meat
Meats like organic beef and chicken are also processed similarly as organically grown fruits and vegetables in the sense that these are grown, handled and processed only by using the appropriate methods and tools. Farmers who focus on soil conservation, water conservation and the use of renewable resources to improve the environmental quality for the next generations grow organic meat and poultry. Organic farmers generally should follow a number of standards to comply with the requirements of the USDA.
The Standards
Organic beef and other meats in general should come from animals that have not been given hormones, antibiotics and growth stimulants. The animals should be treated very well by growers and provided access to an outdoor environment. The animals should only be fed 100% certified organic feeds. They should also graze only in certified organic pastures. All organic meat and poultry processing should be done in compliance with the strict standards set by the USDA in a certified plant. The plant should also be inspected for continuous organic production.
Animals assigned for dairy production should not be slaughtered or sold for slaughter. At the packing plant, the animals need to be isolated from other animals that were not fed organically. There are only a few plants the exclusively process organic products. The whole line is cleaned according to the specifications for organic production before any kind of organic beef or chicken is introduced.
Reaping the Benefits of Organic Beef
Organic beef and poultry is generally healthier and more nutritious, since the animals were not raised with the support of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, synthetic hormones and conventional feeds. Animals raised in optimum environments are also less stressed, compared to those grown conventionally. Grass-fed organic meat is known to be better since cattle that eat in approved pastures are shown to be leaner and healthier. Others that graze anywhere usually have altered acidity levels and are more prone to developing bacteria and infections.
When Shopping
If you’re looking for organic beef or other types of meat, you have to understand some terms to ensure that you are getting your money’s worth. “Pastured” means that the animals were allowed to roam free on the farms, thereby attaining their natural diet. “Grass-fed” means that the animals were fed nothing, except their own mother’s milk and grass.
“Cage-free” means that the animals were raised in a place where they may or may not have access to the outdoors. “Free-range” means that the animals have access to an outdoor environment everyday. “Natural” means that the organic meat does not have any chemical preservatives, synthetic materials and artificial flavors. “Organic” means that the organic beef, poultry or eggs only come from animals that were not given any antibiotics or growth hormones. You may also consider checking web sites and other online markets for organic meat that can immediately be shipped to you in a matter of days.
Tags: organic beef, organic chicken, organic food, organic meat, organic poultry