Grass Fed vs. Grass Finished Beef

[AdventureMarc]

During one of my talks on reading Nutritional Labels at The Ranch, a guest asked for further explanation on “grass fed” vs. “grass finished” beef. Currently the USDA does not have an official definition for what these terms mean, so it is important to understand what cattle are supposed to eat and how that pertains to their health. For those of us who choose to eat meat, we should choose to eat healthy meat–which means meat from a healthy animal.

I have long advocated the importance of knowing what inputs go into your food. Unfortunately this specific example shows how most americans are erroneously influenced by marketing and advertising, and few have any knowledge of how inputs into beef affect the nutrient quality and nutrient concentrations in their meat. I, myself grew up with the marketing slogan that “Corn-Fed beef was the best beef to have!!” and many producers of beef will attest to the benefits of grain finishing of their cattle: fat marbling and flavor.

Most cattle raised for commercial beef are first raised on milk (as a calf), then grass until they reach about 650-750 pounds (about 12 months of age) and are “finished” on grain before slaughter. This “finishing” process takes place until the cow is approximately 1200 pounds, and takes about 90 to 160 days. So it is somewhat misleading when using the term “grass fed” as all cattle subsist the majority of their lives on grass, but are typically “finished” on grains. Some producers will label “100% grass fed” which infers that they were not finished on grain, but were fed grass throughout their lives before slaughter.

So why do we make the distinction of having “grass finished” beef? If we study the biology of cattle, we would learn that cattle are ruminants, which means they have a specialized digestive system of an herbivore. This digestive system contains 4 stomachs to process their main food source of grasses. Healthy cattle, with intact immune systems and healthy tissues (resulting in healthy beef) are naturally nutrient dense with a higher ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids. Ruminants are not designed to subsist on large amounts of grain (i.e. corn or soy), that is fed to them in the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) where they are “finished” before slaughter. When fed a high grain diet, the microorganisms in their digestive tract convert to a more acidic environment. This acidic environment results in a reduction of Omega 3 fatty acids and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), increases in the total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol in the cattle’s tissues, and hence less nutrient dense beef. If the cattle are fed grains for too long (typically up to 160 days), acidosis occurs which causes ulcers, liver abcesses, laminitis, polioencephalomalacia and death. Of course because these illnesses occur in the CAFO, which also requires the cattle be in confined in manure & pathogen rich conditions, other secondary illnesses present themselves and require the use of antibiotics introduced to the cattle.

So when beef is “grass finished” or “100% grass fed”, these cattle are fed ideal inputs that they evolved to consume for proper health. This feeding system also encourages a healthy living environment for the animals, reducing the need for antibiotics and other medications, and thus maintain the ideal nutrient density for those who eat their meat.

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