Grass-Fed and Pasture-Raised
The lure to purchase grass-fed and finished animal products is based on the perception of increased animal welfare and healthfulness similar to that of purchasing organic products. Grass-fed and finished animals are raised on pasture throughout their lifespan which ensures the consumption of an appropriate diet and replicates the animal’s natural living environment.
Meats:
What does it mean to be grass-fed “and finished” and why does it matter? Even though organic standards are better for animal well-being compared to conventional livestock conditions, there are still some distinctions that need to be made. Certifying cattle as organic means that it grazed on certified organic pasture during the full grazing season for the geographic region BUT because this time-frame is variable depending on the region and weather, the overall requirement for grass in the diet is a only 30%. Basically, these rules are only in effect up until the final 120 days of the cattle’s lives (at which time they can be finished on grain feed instead of grass).
You may be thinking: Does the 120 days really matter? The answer is yes. This time period has a significant impact on the meat. The biggest difference is its fat content which increases anywhere from two- to four-fold during that 120 day time period. Additionally, the fatty acid profile can be disrupted leading to higher amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids and lower amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Beef from grass-fed and finished cattle tends to be leaner, and contain more omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA, as well as vitamins A and E.
Milk and Eggs:
What we just discussed with regard to meat quality, the same applies to the products of those animals. The quality of milk and eggs produced by livestock are influenced by the animals’ diet and environment.
A chicken’s diet influences the nutrient content of their eggs- Pastured (pasture-raised) hens lay eggs with significantly more omega-3 fatty acids(notable increase in DHA), vitamin E, lutein(primary antioxidant within the brain and retina), and zeaxanthin. These eggs also contain less omega-6 fatty acids and have a lower omega-3 to omega-6 ratio than their conventional or organic counterparts.
Pastured eggs had two to three times as much lutein as conventional
Feeding dairy cows a larger content of grass leads to directly proportional decreases in saturated fat and increases in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, including CLA(Conjugated linoleic acid) and ALA(Alpha-lipoic acid).
SO are Grass-Fed and Pasture-Raised the same thing?
Think of it this way: Grass-fed links to what the animals eat and Pasture-raised links to where the animal eats.
Both are good terms to be on the look out for during your next grocery trip.
Questions? Contact us!
Email: courtney@plusforte.co
Phone: 978-590-6951
Reference:
NASM. (n.d.). Lesson 1 in Nutrition Hot Topics and Controversies: Organic, Grass-Fed, and Pasture-Raised. In Nutritional Science: Nutrition Certification.
