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Free-range" and "grain-fed" are terms that do not necessarily mean "organic."
On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of beef and 87 pounds of chicken annually. With all the racket about eating organic, you may wonder what the big deal is. Perhaps animals are treated better and allowed to roam outdoors, but is it really worth it to eat organic? Being well informed about the issue will help you to make your decision.
Organic Produce
When a label states that a product is organic, it is referring to the methods that are used to fertilize, feed and prevent disease. For produce, this means pesticides, herbicides and artificial fertilizers were not used. Crop rotation, hand weeding and mating disruption are methods used to reduce pests and prevent diseases without polluting the air or compromising the integrity of the produce. Only natural fertilizers are used without artificial enhancements.
Organic Meats
For meats, "organic" refers to the treatment of animals. The animals are allowed to roam in pastures and given more space, assisting in the prevention of disease. This treatment is applied instead of using antibiotics. They are fed with grain, corn and grass only, without any added hormones or other growth enhancements. "All-natural," "hormone-free" and "free-range" are terms that may be applied to meats but they do not mean the product was produced in a completely organic manner.
Human Health
Organic meats tend to be leaner because the animals are allowed to roam, thereby getting more exercise. Some people choose to eat organic to avoid the hormones and pesticides that are given to animals not raised organically.
Unorganic practices allow the feeding of animal byproducts to cows, which has been linked to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease. The following items are approved for feeding cattle, but are not used in organic farming: gelatin (rendered from the hooves of cattle); fats, oils, tallow and grease (from cattle); poultry and poultry byproducts; rendered horse protein; rendered pig protein.
Grain-fed cattle are cattle that are fed only grain. No animal byproducts are used, but hormones and antibiotics might have been administered. Higher levels of IGF-1, a particular hormone, has been found in humans who have consumed milk from cows treated with rBGH, a growth hormone given to cows. IGF-1 is associated with an increased risk of cancer in humans.
Organically raised chickens are allowed to roam around and feed on bugs and seeds. They also have leaner meat and are not given antibiotics. The antibiotics used to treat E. coli infections in turkeys and chickens have increased certain bacteria in humans, which have caused serious illnesses.
Better Impact on the Environment
Grass is a natural choice for cattle. When cattle are allowed to roam free and eat grass, less grain and corn must be raised to feed them. The pesticides, insecticides and artificial fertilizers that are used to grow the corn and grain would be significantly reduced if corn and grain were only grown for human consumption.
Using more of America's natural grasslands to raise corn and grain also means the natural environment for bison, black-footed ferrets and prairie chickens is reduced. These species, among others, are endangered because more grassland is being used each year to grow grain and corn.
More to Think About
Cows are naturally herbivores. Humans do not eat carnivores, except for fish, on a regular basis, and the livers of many carnivores have dangerously high levels of vitamin A. Baby cows that are raised organically are never given any nonmilk supplements, antibiotics or products from rBST-treated animals. Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rBST) is a hormone given to lactating cows to increase milk production. There has been concern about drinking the milk from cows given this hormone.
Slaughterhouses used for organic animals must be cleaned without any chance of cross contamination with an animal that is not considered organic.
Tags: allowed roam, corn grain, grain corn, animal byproducts, animals allowed, animals allowed roam, artificial fertilizers