Organic Beef

What is Organic Beef?

Organic beef comes from cows that are bred and raised under organic standards. What do these standards entail? The vast majority of organic farmers raise their livestock without the use of:

• Antibiotics
• Growth hormones
• Artificial feed ingredients

These organically raised cows are fed purely organic diets that do not include additives or pesticides. Hence, these farmers receive a "certified organic" label on their products showing that their beef upholds the standards of organic farming.

Growing Popularity

Over the past decades, organic beef and other meats have been soaring in popularity as the general public is slowly becoming more health conscious. With the rise of cancer, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders, consumers are starting to investigate diet as a possible cause of disease. Even commercial supermarkets are beginning to carry certain organic products in order to meet the growing demand.

Why is organic beef taking the spotlight over mainstream beef products?

The Growth Hormone Dispute

Many brands of commercial beef products are made from cows which are fed growth hormones. These growth hormones increase the lean muscle mass of livestock, but their inclusion in meat products may pose serious health threats to the consumer. Although the Federal Drug Administration has long since allowed these hormones to be used in the meat industry, it is interesting to note that several countries have outlawed the import of meats that come from cows treated with growth hormones.

In 1999, a slew of European scientists ruled that one of the growth hormones used in American beef was a "complete carcinogen". This hormone labeled, 17 beta-oestradiol, was given the thumbs down in a report by the European Union's Scientific Committee on Veterinary Measures. In fact, the statements by this committee conveyed that this hormone had both "tumor initiating and tumor promoting effects". Even when ingested in small doses, the committee felt the residues of this hormone contained in meat could pose serious health consequences to the consumer.

Although the European Union was flatly debated by American representatives, the American public has become wary regarding hormonal additives in their meat. Of course, the potential threat can be avoided entirely by simply purchasing organic beef.

Antibiotic Residues

As if the hormone scare wasn't enough, commercially raised cattle are frequently fed antibiotics to control numerous infections. Again, these antibiotics residually collect in the tissues of the cow, and then, upon meat-packaging time, remain in the supermarket products.

This presents another dilemma for American shoppers, particularly because doctors are now witnessing an increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that are baffling hospitals. How did these bacteria strains come to be? The general medical consensus on the matter is that these resistant strains are due to the cumulative effects of over-prescribed antibiotics. The capricious use of broad-spectrum antibiotics has led to many strains of microorganisms that no longer respond to conventional antibiotic usage. Therefore, it has become imperative for the medical community to only prescribe antibiotics when they are absolutely necessary.

If this is the case, is it safe to routinely ingest antibiotic residues that are contained within one's food? This question has led many shoppers to explore organic meat alternatives.

Where to Purchase

Not all organic beef products are the same. Organic beef is not quite the same as organic "grass fed" beef which contains a significantly lower fat to protein ratio. Still, buying organic is arguably always safer than purchasing commercial products. Most organic meats can be easily purchased at your local organic food store. However, the grass-fed meat varieties may require special ordering. Organic grass-fed beef can be obtained safely online from Mercola.com.