Organic beef. Natural beef. Free-farmed beef. Humanely raised beef. When did ordering a filet become so complicated?
Not long ago, most Americans cared simply about the price of beef--not what the cow had for supper or the bovine's lifestyle. All that changed with one mad cow in the Northwest. Now the adjectives to describe the beef are just as important as the cut of meat.
Here's a guide to beef labeling:
Certified organic: Organic livestock are not given antibiotics or growth hormones; are fed only organically produced feed grown without pesticides, herbicides or genetically modified organisms; and must have access to pasture. Organic meat cannot be irradiated.
Corn fed: Cattle that are corn-fed produce more fatty marbling, which raises their grade of beef cuts to "choice" in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's grading system. Corn-fed beef may graze on grass most of its life but be finished in a feedlot on grains.
Free farmed: Administered by the American Humane Association's Farm Animal Services program, the designation indicates humane treatment of animals, including access to water, healthful food, rapid medical care and space.
Grass fed: The label implies that cattle are raised in open pastures and fed on grass, producing a less fatty beef than meat from grain-fed cattle. There is currently no regulation of this label, but the beef often comes from small producers who can specify their practices.
Humanely raised: Administered by Humane Farm Animal Care, the standards prohibit added growth hormones and antibiotics and indicate the humane treatment, transport and slaughter of the animals.
Natural: According to the USDA, this is a meat product containing no artificial ingredients or added color and that is only minimally processed. The label must explain the use of the term "natural"--such as "no added colorings or artificial ingredients" or "minimally processed."