Mythbusters:Food Labels
Cassidy DossinAgriculture and Natural Resources
Clay County Extension
presentation by Alicia Halbritter
Commonly
Misunderstood
Food
Label
Terms
USDA ORGANICOrganic Foods are grown and processed according to certain federal guidelines.
Organic Meat: Animals are raised in living conditions accommodating their natural behaviors, fed 100% organic feed and forage, and not
administered antibiotics or hormones
All NaturalA product containing no artificial ingredient or added
color and is only minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was processed in a manner that does
not fundamentally alter the product. The label must include a statement explaining the meaning of the term
natural (such as "no artificial ingredients; minimally processed").
Sooo....about 99% of fresh meat & eggs....
GMO FreeA product that does not include GMO products. If meat, the animal was not fed GMO products.
But that's great right?
Well.... not necessarily.
GMO Crops in the USCorn
SoybeansCottonCanola
Sugar BeetsAlfalfaPapaya
Yellow "Crook Neck" SquashZucchini
"Artic" Apple"Innate" Potato
So
Then
Why....
Marketing
is not your
Friend
Beef
Labels
Commonly
Misunderstood
Beef
Labeling
Terms
USDA Grades
Certified Angus
Organic
Grass Fed
Antibiotic Free
Hormone Free
First... A Poll
Raise your hand if you strive to purchase a certain type of beef?(Grass-Fed, Antibiotic Free, Hormone Free, etc.)
is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-
heat cooking (broiling, roasting, or grilling).
is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks
from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and
flavorful and are, like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. Many of the less
tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, will be most
tender if "braised" —roasted, or simmered with
a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.
is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than
the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts (loin, rib, sirloin)
should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should
be marinated before cooking or braised to
obtain maximum tenderness and flavor.
Certified
Angus
Beef
10 Requirements
1. >Modest Marbling2. Medium or fine marbling texture3. "A" grade for lean and skeletal characteristics.4. 10-16 sq in ribeye area.5. <1050 lb carcass weight6. > 1 inch fat thickness7. Superior muscling8. Practically free of capillary rupture.9. No dark cutters.10. No neck hump >2 inches.
*Cattle must be 51% black hided*
Sounds Great!
So What?Owned by the American Angus Assocation...to
encourage consumers to purchase "angus" beef.
Many cattle outside of the angus breed can produce
high quality beef. CAB is a great marker for quality but not the sole source.
Grass Fed*NO LONGER A STANDARD
DEFINITION BY USDA*
Labels are subject to USDA approval but site visits are
not conducted.
Look for third party verification.
All beef is "Grass Fed"
Animals move to CAFO "feedlot" around 6-7 months old and stay for 5-7 months.
Feedlot ration is generally never more than 50% corn. The other 50% is generally
forage based products.
There are "grass fed" feed lots!
Antibiotic Free
Beef
Hormone Free
BeefThis animal was lucky enough to
not get sick and therefore no antibiotics were administered to the animal THIS beef came from.
Animals who have antibiotics administered go into a separate
herd, which are still slaughtered.
All meat is "antibiotic free" as animals cannot be slaughtered without going
through a withdraw period and meat is sampled at the slaughterhouse.
No meat is "hormone free" as hormones are a natural part of life. This beef has no ADDED hormones.
Added hormones, like estrogen, help promote growth in cattle and offer a
sustainable food source.
If you're worried about hormones... take a look at your vegetables or
tofu.
Poultry
Labels
Commonly
Misunderstood
Poultry
Labeling
Terms
Cage free
free range
pasture raised
vegetarian fed
Omega-3's
no hormones
no antibiotics
First.... A Poll
Raise your hand if you generally purchase brown eggs over white eggs?
Cage Free Free Range Pasture Raised
USDA Standard:Producer must
demonstrate that the poultry has been allowed
access to the outside
USDA Standard:Produced by poultry
housed in a building, room, or enclosed area that
allows for access to food, water, and provides the freedom to roam within
the area.
USDA Standard:Produced by poultry
housed in a building, room, or enclosed area that
allows for access to food, water, and continuous
access to the outdoors.
Those Sound Great!
What's the Problem?Subject to predators and
higher mortalitySustainability problems: require
more space, more wasted resources, etc.
Poultry are very susceptible to the
elemtents
*Can be done, will just require a steep learning curve that may impact animal welfare in the beginning.*
Vegetarian FedChickens aren't
herbivores...they are omnivores.
Feeds have to be supplemented with amino
acids that chickens would normally get from animal
protein.
"Vegetarian Fed" eggs can be lower quality than conventional eggs.
Omega-3 Eggs
Come from hens fed fish oil or flax seeds to add omega-3 to
their diet.
Make sure to check out actual grams of Omega-3 to compare
brands.
DHA Omega-3 are better source than ALA Omega-3.
Antibiotic Free Hormone Free
Again... Animals that were raised successfully without the use of antibiotics. Many poultry are raised this way and not even marketed as
"Antibiotic Free"
Again... USDA protects consumers by monitoring and testing meat before it enters
the food chain
Again.. not completely hormone free.
Added hormones are illegal to use in the US
for Poultry & Pork production...therefore
ALL poultry and pork produced in the US is free
of added hormones.
Poultry Poultry
What Did We Learn Today?Don't follow food trends and don't fall for marketing
ploys! Do your own research and purchase foods that are right for you and your family.
Take out your phones! https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cxdyHeH46tiJoNf
Cassidy Dossin [email protected] 904-284-6355