Navigating the Meat Case

(ARA) – Have you ever paused in front of the beef case in your favorite grocery store, overwhelmed at the choices available? Armed with a little knowledge about the options -- like grain-fed, grass-finished, certified organic and natural beef -- meat case shoppers can make an informed decision and feel good about taking home the type of beef that best fits their family’s needs.

“Rather than feel overwhelmed, consumers should be excited that beef producers are providing a variety of choices to fit our varying lifestyles and tastes” says Janet Anderson, M.S., R.D., food safety expert and director of the Safe Food Institute. “The key to navigating the meat case is to understand the differences and similarities between the various choices of beef.”

Before your next trip to the local meat case, bone up on the different choices of beef to make your shopping a breeze and make sure you get what you’re looking for:

Grain-fed beef

Grain-fed cattle spend most of their lives eating grass in pastures before moving to a feedlot. While at the feedlot, they are fed a carefully balanced diet of grain and important vitamin and mineral supplements for approximately four to six months. Research shows consumers generally prefer the taste of grain-fed beef because of its tenderness and flavor-enhancing marbling.

Did you know? If packaging doesn’t indicate otherwise on a cut of beef in the grocery store, it’s probably grain-fed, because that is the most widely produced kind of beef.

Grass-finished beef

Grass-finished beef (sometimes marketed as grass-fed beef) comes from cattle that have been raised on pasture their entire lives. While most cattle spend the majority of their lives in pastures eating grass, then move to a feedlot for grain-finishing, grass-finished beef cattle remain on a pasture and forage diet for finishing. Most grass-finished beef is imported from Australia and New Zealand, where grass is in greater abundance than feed corn and grows year-round.

Did you know? Grass-finished beef may have a distinctively different taste and can benefit from alternative preparation methods, including marinades and shorter cooking times.

Certified organic beef

Certified organic beef must meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program standards. Organically raised cattle must be fed 100 percent organic feed. In addition, the organic standards require that cattle may not be given hormones to promote growth or antibiotics for any reason. If an animal is sick, it cannot be denied treatment to ensure its health, however, any animal that is treated with antibiotics must be taken out of the National Organic Program.

Did you know? Both grain-fed and grass-finished cattle can qualify for certified organic programs.

Natural beef

Natural beef must be minimally processed and contain no additives. However, the government’s definition of natural does not relate to the way animals are raised or what they are fed. Unlike certified organic products, currently there is no government certification program for naturally raised beef. Many companies have created their own “natural” production guidelines. Common production claims are “Raised without Hormones,” “Raised without Antibiotics” or “Corn-fed.” Read the label carefully to understand what a particular company means when it says “natural.”

Did you know? By USDA’s definition, most beef in the meat case is natural, whether the label says it or not.

“While each type of beef varies slightly from the next, the common denominator is safety,” Anderson says. “No matter which type of beef you choose, all beef goes through the same rigorous inspection process and government guidelines to ensure our beef remains the safest in the world.”

Beef producers are vigilant on the farm and food safety processes take place throughout the entire beef production chain to ensure the safety of beef from the pasture to the grocery store. But the attention paid to food safety can’t end when you check out at the grocery store; you can play a role in keeping beef safe by practicing food safety in your own kitchen:

* Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure beef is cooked to the proper internal temperature: 160 F for ground beef and 145 F for steaks and beef roasts.

* Keep your foods out of the danger zone -- the unsafe temperatures between 40 F and 140 F -- to prevent the potential for bacterial growth.

* Avoid cross-contamination by keeping your hands, countertops, dish towels and cooking utensils clean after handling uncooked meat by washing thoroughly with soap and hot water.

For more food safety tips along with great-tasting and healthy recipes for all of the choices of beef, visit www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. Funded by The Beef Checkoff.

Courtesy of ARAcontent