Organic Standards for Meat
Health officials and chefs tout the advantages of organic food, but what makes it any different than conventionally grown fare? In the case of meat and poultry, the differences between organic and conventional products are pretty striking. The National Organic Program, a part of the USDA, oversees organic farms and ranches and has strict standards for all meat and poultry that is labeled and sold as organic. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Where Does Organic Meat Come From?
According to the USDA's Federal Regulations for the National Organic Program, farms and ranches must have a special organic certification to label and sell their products as organic. Animal products that are marketed as organic must come from livestock that has lived under continuous organic management from at least the last third of gestation. Poultry must be under continuous organic management since its second day of life. Milk or dairy products labeled as organic must come from animals that have been raised on a certified organic farm for at least one year before the production of milk.
Regulations for Feeding Organic Livestock
Under USDA standards, all organic livestock must be fed on a diet of "agricultural products ... that are organically produced and ... organically handled." This usually means that organic cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock eat primarily grass and other naturally grown grains, not corn, like most non-organic livestock. According to USDA standards, grass from organic pastures isn't treated with pesticides, nor is it fertilized with chemicals, but with the animals' manure instead, thereby eliminating the problem of disposing of tons of manure produced by animals in non-organic feedlots, according to Bryan Walsh's article "Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food." Also, unlike conventionally raised livestock, organic animals are not fed plastic pellets, formulas containing urea or manure, or slaughter byproducts, as stated by the USDA regulations.
Additive-Free Meat Products
According to Walsh, animals raised in conventional feedlot settings live in such close quarters that they can barely move. Chickens are often kept in pens so small they can't raise their wings, and on some farms, animals don't even have space to lie down. Having many animals living in such a small space requires farmers to dose each animal with antibiotics to prevent the spread of diseases. USDA organic standards prohibit the use of any medical treatment given to animals unless they are sick, including antibiotics and synthetic parasiticides. Organic farmers and ranchers are also prohibited from giving their animals hormones or supplements to promote growth, as conventional farmers often do.
Livestock Living Conditions
Organic animals don't need antibiotics because they don't live in such tight quarters. Most organic animals are raised in open-air fields or pastures and are free to move about as they wish. USDA regulations state that organic livestock must have access to "the outdoors ... fresh air and direct sunlight ... opportunity to exercise ... and appropriate clean, dry bedding."
Why Organic Meat May Be Better
According to Walsh, all these standards make organic meat superior for several reasons. Conventional livestock farms are detrimental to the environment because they produce millions of tons of manure that contaminates nearby water supplies, and they consume millions of tons of chemically fertilized corn, which produces runoff that contaminates the Gulf of Mexico and kills large amounts of sea life each year. USDA organic standards state that organic ranchers must "manage manure in a manner that does not contribute to contamination of crops, soil or water." Walsh also writes that antibiotics given to non-organic livestock contribute to drug-resistant bacteria strains that can be passed to humans. Because of the efficiency of conventional feedlots as well as government subsidies, millions of pounds of meat can be produced quickly and cheaply, making it more affordable than whole grains or fresh fruit and vegetables. According to Walsh, this increases our tendency to eat more hamburgers and bacon, which contributes to the growing obesity epidemic. Organic, grass-fed meat, on the other hand, is higher in Omega-3 fatty acids (which can lower cholesterol), beta-carotene and vitamin E. Unfortunately, these advantages make organic meat cost much more than conventional meat, and for this reason, only 1 percent of the meat sold in the U.S. is labeled organic.
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