hormone and anti-botic free meat/chicken?

Lolli · 03-20-2008, 08:30 PM

I saw a chicken label say "anti-botic-free*" and then below beside the * it says "grain-fed" - is that what anti-botic free means, it's just grain-fed?

I also noticed that some companies just put "naturally" or "natural" but after examining the label - I can't tell what's "natural" about it. They try to give the impression that it's better than factory farmed chicken.

I prefer to go the Farmer's Market and buy chicken there - usually local/small farmers don't put loaded crap in their meat/chicken - I'm really concerned about having hormone injected meat.

Has anyone ever been able to find hormone and anti-botic free meat/chicken at the supermarket?

Just trying to figure out what's what.

Malkavian · 03-20-2008, 10:33 PM

I don't think so... Antibiotic free usually means no drugs were fed... But you can feed grain and drugs at the same time, no problem. So i'd say grain fed means it ate grain. What it had for dessert, you don't know

PursuitOfHappinessParty · 03-20-2008, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malkavian

I don't think so... Antibiotic free usually means no drugs were fed... But you can feed grain and drugs at the same time, no problem. So i'd say grain fed means it ate grain. What it had for dessert, you don't know

I'm pretty sure that it means they weren't given antibiotics in any form.

BTW, Lolli;
Unless they've changed the rules (doubt it), Natural doesn't actually have any qualifications and as such means nothing. Grain fed means fed grain. Sounds smarty-assed but they feed animals all kinds of crap and grain-fed means that there isn't the diseased animal, same animal, growth hormones, antibiotics, and various other horrors of 'nomal' feeding practices. This holds true in all feedstock.

Lolli · 03-21-2008, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PursuitOfHappinessParty

I'm pretty sure that it means they weren't given antibiotics in any form.

BTW, Lolli;
Unless they've changed the rules (doubt it), Natural doesn't actually have any qualifications and as such means nothing. Grain fed means fed grain. Sounds smarty-assed but they feed animals all kinds of crap and grain-fed means that there isn't the diseased animal, same animal, growth hormones, antibiotics, and various other horrors of 'nomal' feeding practices. This holds true in all feedstock.

Are you positively sure about that? Because why don't the labels include to say that about hormones? Another brand that claims in to be "organic" says no anti-botics, no animal by product & grain fed but nothing about hormone free. Another says grain fed, no animal by product but nothing about being anti-botic and hormone free - you'd think they would want to "brag" about that or at least market it.

Lolli · 03-21-2008, 03:04 AM

Actually PursuitofHappiness - grain-fed does NOT mean it's anti-botic and hormone free!!!

Quote:

But now that the grass-fed movement is gaining steam, shoppers have a choice about whether they want to buy meat from cows that have eaten a 100 percent grass diet or those that have been fattened up in feedlots on grain (or specifically corn). Proponents of pasture-only beef point to research that shows the health benefits of grass-fed cattle _ a lower fat and calorie count, and an increased amount of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E. Plus, grass-fed beef is free of antibiotics; holding cattle in feedlots can cause illness, which encourages some producers to mix antibiotics into the feed. Often they are also given hormones to grow bigger faster.

Quote:

grass-fed beef, is that except for being safer, more nutritious, better for the environment, a more humane treatment of the animals, more supportive of the American farm system, and with a better taste, there's no difference in grass-fed from industrial feedlot beef

Steak: Grass-fed beef is gaining in popularity, but grain-fed still has its backers

Lolli · 03-21-2008, 03:08 AM

Quote:

The food blogs have been buzzing this week with the news that a new "grass-fed" standard for meat was released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. My favorite headline of all was “USDA limits grass fed label to meat that actually is”—from Ethicurean.com, who has been following this issue very closely.

It took five years and lots of wrangling from farmers and advocates of grass-fed livestock to make sure that the standard is finally in place. But why all the hooplah and controversy over labeling? At first glance, the issue seems pretty simple: Meat that is labeled as "grass-fed" should come from animals that ate only grass, not corn and soybeans. Similarly, cows that were fed grain (in the feedlots and industrial dairies that dot the Western U.S.) should not be labeled as "grass-fed" when they reach grocery store shelves. Right?

The problem is, big beef wanted to cash in as well, especially since beef and other products that come from grass-fed animals, including milk, butter, and eggs, are so popular right now. Grass feeding enables animals to range more freely, and their products are usually better tasting and contain more health-boosting Omega 3s. (Check out Kate Clancy’s excellent report on the health benefits of pasture-raised products). But the beef industry was stamping the "grass-fed" label on cattle that had actually been fed grain nearly their entire lives (all cows start off eating grass, but if they’re sent to industrial feedlots, they spend the last few months of their lives being finished on grain). Some producers were even feeding feedlot-confined animals with hay and corn stalks and other agricultural leftovers, then labeling them as "grass-fed."

The new standard is voluntary, but livestock farmers who wish to advertise their more-responsible practices to consumers can request that the USDA conduct an audit of their production methods to verify that their "grass-fed" animals are indeed foraging and eating grass. The meat from verified farms can then carry a "claim” or label that says the meat is grass-fed. The standard goes into effect on November 15, just in time for the growing number of small farmers and producers in the United States who raise their animals on grass to sell their products for the holiday season. For a complete list, see the Eat Well Guide and the EatWild website.

Of course "grass-fed" beef doesnÂ’'t mean "grain-fed"! | Worldwatch Institute

One of the reasons why I hate capitalism, seriously.

Dianekkdi · 03-21-2008, 05:32 AM

This is a great side. Eat Wild

We found a small local farm.

If you don't wish to be vegetarian there are alternatives to being poisoned.

We haven't become vegetarians yet. We have become very moderate meat eaters.

Tofu makes great "egg" salad sandwiches.

We found our local farms here: Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food

Lolli · 03-21-2008, 05:48 AM

Thanks Diane. I'm what you call a part time vegetarian. I stop eating for like a year but then I may travel overseas and most dishes/diets consist of meat. I don't mind eating the meat their because I know it's probably from the chicken or cow I just saw down the road yesterday

I don't particularly eat beef - maybe once a month or every other month. I re-introduced chicken breast because I don't eat enough protein so that's why I'm researching this. I've always continued to have seafood though but you do get sick of it after a while - Im trying to stick to white fish as opposed to fattier fishes. Haven't had pork (only thing I ate was sausage and bacon) for months and months - that's an odd occasion like when I go out for a big breakfast - I enjoy it then.

Malkavian · 03-21-2008, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lollipop

Thanks Diane. I'm what you call a part time vegetarian. I stop eating for like a year but then I may travel overseas and most dishes/diets consist of meat. I don't mind eating the meat their because I know it's probably from the chicken or cow I just saw down the road yesterday

I don't particularly eat beef - maybe once a month or every other month. I re-introduced chicken breast because I don't eat enough protein so that's why I'm researching this. I've always continued to have seafood though but you do get sick of it after a while - Im trying to stick to white fish as opposed to fattier fishes. Haven't had pork (only thing I ate was sausage and bacon) for months and months - that's an odd occasion like when I go out for a big breakfast - I enjoy it then.

Try walnuts

I think they have plenty... And no one can possibly get sick of shrimps.

PursuitOfHappinessParty · 03-21-2008, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lollipop

Are you positively sure about that? Because why don't the labels include to say that about hormones? Another brand that claims in to be "organic" says no anti-botics, no animal by product & grain fed but nothing about hormone free. Another says grain fed, no animal by product but nothing about being anti-botic and hormone free - you'd think they would want to "brag" about that or at least market it.

Remember, I'm going by news bits from here and there as well as being raised on a traditional farm. Doesn't make me a USDA expert.

IOW, don't take my word as gospel, but I'm really confident in my answer.

They haven't listed hormones, because they've injected the animals with hormones. Smoke and Mirror with the "Hey, Grain-Fed and no antibiotics!!! Choose us!!" while they inject them with hormones to grow bigger/faster and make more money.

The entire business is nefarious. What they put on the label could be BS, but I go with misleading instead. I don't think they can label it 'antibiotic free' and be lying. The regulations come from people in the pocket of the beef industry. My family raised cattle free-range and grass fed. Once sold, they go to feedlots and received whatever. Grain IS good, it makes for tender beef. It's the other feeds, such as recycled/sick cattle made into feed and lamb-meat that worry me (where mad-cow comes from) as well as antibiotics and hormones.

If you have a big stand-alone freezer, you can go to your local FFA and buy one of their show animals at the end of the season, have it butchered, and put it in your freezer. Then your dinner will be tender, clean, loved, and once had a pet name.

03-20-2008, 08:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
Lolli Resident Fruit Cake Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fruit Cake City Posts: 1,247 Thanks: 71 Thanked 47 Times in 27 Posts	hormone and anti-botic free meat/chicken? I saw a chicken label say "anti-botic-free" and then below beside the it says "grain-fed" - is that what anti-botic free means, it's just grain-fed? I also noticed that some companies just put "naturally" or "natural" but after examining the label - I can't tell what's "natural" about it. They try to give the impression that it's better than factory farmed chicken. I prefer to go the Farmer's Market and buy chicken there - usually local/small farmers don't put loaded crap in their meat/chicken - I'm really concerned about having hormone injected meat. Has anyone ever been able to find hormone and anti-botic free meat/chicken at the supermarket? Just trying to figure out what's what.
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03-20-2008, 10:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
Malkavian Milked Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Resting in Peace Posts: 4,437 My Mood: Thanks: 283 Thanked 62 Times in 54 Posts	I don't think so... Antibiotic free usually means no drugs were fed... But you can feed grain and drugs at the same time, no problem. So i'd say grain fed means it ate grain. What it had for dessert, you don't know __________________ Woof!
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03-21-2008, 05:32 AM	#7 (permalink)
Dianekkdi Truth, Justice & ... Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: A place between yesterday and tomorrow Posts: 684 My Mood: Blog Entries: 7 Thanks: 3 Thanked 24 Times in 16 Posts	This is a great side. Eat Wild We found a small local farm. If you don't wish to be vegetarian there are alternatives to being poisoned. We haven't become vegetarians yet. We have become very moderate meat eaters. Tofu makes great "egg" salad sandwiches. We found our local farms here: Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food __________________ ---------------------- Reinvestigate 9/11 Impeach......Prosecute......Imprison "...The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed...." --Thomas Jefferson Last edited by Dianekkdi; 03-21-2008 at 05:37 AM.
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03-21-2008, 05:48 AM	#8 (permalink)
Lolli Resident Fruit Cake Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fruit Cake City Posts: 1,247 Thanks: 71 Thanked 47 Times in 27 Posts	Thanks Diane. I'm what you call a part time vegetarian. I stop eating for like a year but then I may travel overseas and most dishes/diets consist of meat. I don't mind eating the meat their because I know it's probably from the chicken or cow I just saw down the road yesterday I don't particularly eat beef - maybe once a month or every other month. I re-introduced chicken breast because I don't eat enough protein so that's why I'm researching this. I've always continued to have seafood though but you do get sick of it after a while - Im trying to stick to white fish as opposed to fattier fishes. Haven't had pork (only thing I ate was sausage and bacon) for months and months - that's an odd occasion like when I go out for a big breakfast - I enjoy it then.
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