beef

A Real Hamburger Helper

scleaver — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 09:54:55 -0400

Figuring out your food miles will get easier by October.

As the Chicago Tribune reported, starting September 30, a new federal law will require meat labels that show the country of origin on beef, pork, chicken, lamb, as well as fruits, veggies, and some nuts.

Country of Origin Labels (also known as COOL) will tell you whether the animal was raised in the U.S. or another country so you can identify food that comes from countries with safety concerns, or so you can keep your food dollars in the U.S. But, some labels may be more complicated than you realize: ground beef labels may have more than one country listed, because the process to make a hamburger requires meat from more than one country.

As COOL starts up, some (the USDA, the Consumers Union) are against the law either because it doesn’t cover enough (the Consumers Union) or because they think consumers will know too much and are concerned about cost (the USDA). We’ll see how the COOL labels play out, but in the meantime, how much information do you want on your meat label?

Photo from the Dvorak Uncensored blog.

Greener Eating: Look for Grass-Fed Meat

scleaver — Mon, 26 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The chickens at Kris Hirth’s Old Pine Farm in Manchester, MI spend their time strutting around the farm, happily ruffling their feathers and ignoring barn cats. Instead of being cooped up in a huge CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) where they never see the light of day, these chickens are free to roam outside as much as they want, and retire to a roomy coop when they get tired. Old Pine, as Heather Newman wrote in this week’s Detroit Free Press, specializes in grass-fed beef, pork, chicken, and emu, and raising animals the old-fashioned way.

As we learn more about just how our food is really raised, many people are turning to grass-fed meat. Grass-fed and pasture-raised meat may be harder to find, but it’s leaner, tastier, and chemical-free. Moreover, farmers that raise their animals on pastures make a greater profit per animal, and are happier, according to David Conner, research specialist at Michigan State University.

What’s the best way to incorporate grass-fed meat into your diet?

1. Pay attention. “We’ve all lost touch with the animals that become our meat,” Catherine Friend, a farmer in Zumbrota MN, and author of The Compassionate Carnivore, told the Free Press. “Paying attention is the first step, and it’s the hardest because we’re busy.”

2. Start slowly. Can’t incorporate grass-fed meat into every meal? Try one or two, or seek out restaurants that cook it when you’re going out.

3. Read labels closely. Don’t assume you’re getting pasture-raised meat at the grocery store. And, because of how meat is processed, meat coming from small farms may not be in your local grocery store, and if you do find it at a local market, it likely won’t be packaged in the way you’re used to.

4. Seek out local farmers. It takes more effort to pick up eggs, chicken, and slabs of beef from an out-of-the way farm, but it’s worth the drive. In metro Detroit, those pigs that Jim Koan used as pesticide on his apple farm are now being snapped up for pork, bacon, and ham. Find local meat producers and learn more about grass-fed farming through Eat Wild.

Photo of an emu at Old Pine Farm taken from the Free Press article.

"Ode to a Burrito" Indeed

scleaver — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:00:00 -0400

The April 2008 issue of Fast Company Magazine has an intriguing article that explores all there is to know behind those huge burritos that, if you’re a fan, you’ll wait in line for 15 minutes or more (hours in fast-food time). (Read the article “Ode to a Burrito” by Arianne Cohen HERE). A quick run-down reveals what those of us who have dutifully and cheerfully studied the earth-health-conscious menu of four options (taco, burrito, burrito bowl, salad) before watching our burritos being made already knew—Chipotle’s commitment to producing food that’s good for the planet is paying off. Fun stats and facts:Chipotle’s brand has grown from 14 stores in 1998 to 500 in 2006, and more than 840 projected by the end of this year. Chipotle only serves rBGH-free dairy products (that’s milk and cheese from cows that aren’t injected with bovine growth hormone).All of the pork, 80 percent of the chicken, and 50 percent of the beef the chain uses is free of hormones and anti-biotics, and is humanely raised. Because they’re not 100 percent across the board yet, Chipotle is increasing its use of naturally raised meat by 40 percent this year to 52 million pounds.What’s happening at Chipotle is spilling into the fast food market—other chains are increasing their use of humanely raised meat. In the meantime, burrito anyone? Photo from the Menu Pages Blog. Learn more about burritos at Chipotle.

Downer Cow Part 3

scleaver — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:12:14 -0400

Here’s the latest in the downer cow debacle. The The Orange County Register in California reported on March 13 that Senator Dianne Feinstein along with Senator Barbara Boxer and two other senators (both Feinstein and Boxer are from CA, as is the Hallmark/Westland meat packing plant) introduced a bill that would “severely punish meat packing plants if they send sick animals to slaughter.” The current fines for meat packers that send downer cows to be processed are $500,000 fines after the plant’s third violation and up to 10 years in jail—the USDA can increase those penalties but haven’t yet. The new bill would fine the plant after the first violation, and basically shut down the facility after the second violation by removing USDA inspectors (a meat plant can’t operate without inspectors). Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of U.S. Humane Society supported the new bill, saying, “We need a bright-line ban on all downers in the food supply and strong civil penalties for companies that ignore legally required humane-handling responsibilities.”

So far, there haven’t been any reports of people getting sick from Hallmark/Westland’s meat, which ended up in food lunch programs and fast food burgers, but some diseases, like mad cow disease, can take years to emerge in humans. Where do you weigh in on stricter meat packing plant laws? (To get a glimpse at public opinion, check out the comments after the OC Register article.)

Photo from Sustainable Table's info on mad cow disease. To learn more: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/madcow/.