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In truth, no studies have confirmed that all grass-fed beef is better for you than regular beef - the majority of which is "finished" on a diet of other grains, like corn, and soybeans. There are two things that make grass-fed beef appealing, though: the flavor and the idea that the cow is living a healthier, happier life in some field, not crammed onto a feed lot.
Under current regulations, any beef can be labeled "grass fed." The cattle industry says that the diet of most cows is about 75% grass, more than likely consumed as they are growing and before they are shipped to a feed lot. Farmers who raise their cattle entirely on grass and natural forage want to implement a labeling system that recognizes beef that is at least 99% grass-fed. This beef is not necessarily organic, though it can be.
Legislators and food scientists don't necessarily agree with this, wanting something concrete - like a specific health benefit - to justify this action. "Whatever we do, we want to be science-based, we want to be factual, and we don't want to contribute to consumers being exploited in any way when people market beef or any food product," said Gary Weber of the National Cattleman's Beef Association.
But what about the cows? Organic beef is as popular for its perceived benefit to the life of the animals, not just the health of the consumer. Grass fed beef fits into the same category. People want to know where there food comes from and, when it comes down to it, that place isn't a feed lot.
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6-06-2006 @12:40PM Marc said... There is another, very important reason to feed grass to cows: feeding corn to cows can make the consumer sick through food poisoning, or by creating antibiotic resistant microbes (each batch of corn at the feedlot contains a good dose of antibiotics).
On page 82 of "The Omnivore's Dilemna", Pollan writes that most potentially dangerous microbes in a grass-fed cow's gut have evolved to live in the neutral pH environment of the cow's rumen, and are therefore killed in our stomachs. In contrast, cows fed on corn have acidic rumens, which is where E.coli 0157:H7--one of the deadliest known bacteria--thrives (0157:H7 was the culprit in the big Jack-in-the-Box tragedy a few years back). Since it can survive in a corn-fed cow's gut, it can also live in our acidic stomachs. Pollan writes that USDA research shows that just a few days of a diet of hay or grass before slaughter can dramatically reduce the population of E.coli 0157:H7 (I don't have my copy of the book here, so I can't give the exact journal or report citation). But that would be too expensive and complicated, so the meat industry proposes irradiation instead.
This is a place where a huge meat buyer like McDonald's needs to step in and say "we want one more layer of protection against food poisoning, so feed grass to your cattle for a few days before slaughter." McDonald's has such power that the feedlot industry would find a way.
Check out Pollan's "Power Steer" from March 2002 for more about a cow's life: http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/31/magazine/31BEEF.html?ex=1148529600&en=c537dea6 faa4aab4&ei=5070 or http://tinyurl.com/lxtf5 (free registration required)
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6-06-2006 @1:57PM Jared said... I remember being raised on the mantra that 'corn-fed' beef tastes better. But when I just did some research (cough - google) on it, all I found was a rant from John Robbins saying that corn-fed beef just looks better - because of the added marbling (which Robbins demonizes as a result of the added saturated fat). (http://www.foodrevolution.org/grassfedbeef.htm)
Even the few 'corn fed cattle' associations that popped up generally only cite 'superior marbling'. (http://www.ontariocornfedbeef.com/)
Interestingly, there's Colorado State study saying that 80% of consumers believe corn fed beef has better flavor. The appendix details their taste test, and, critically, it doesn't appear to have been done blind. I suppose a combination of long-standing perceptions, plus, well, a more marketable, more marbled appearance... (http://dare.agsci.colostate.edu/aft/curriculum/3.1_cons_prefs.ppt)
Astounding what conclusions someone can leap to with Google and five minutes of spare time - can anyone actually sensibly weigh in on the flavor difference?
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6-06-2006 @3:08PM mella said... Working at a butcher's shop, I can say that marbling does more than improve the appearance and marketability of a piece of meat. Marbling has a lot to do with the flavor you can get from roasts or steaks. Certainly, avoid it if you need to limit fat for health reasons, but otherwise, a well-marbled piece of beef is a flavorful piece. Beyond that, I can't comment on the flavor of grass-fed beef as opposed to corn-fed. Where I live, grass-fed beef is prohibitively expensive, so I have not done a comparison of my own.
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6-08-2006 @12:34PM Jared said... Excellent. That's exactly what I needed - I really *want* to believe in corn fed beef, actually. Else it makes a large portion of my carnivorous childhood... well... a lie.
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