Is "Pasture-Raised" the same as “Grass-Fed”? (a breakdown of meat, dairy, & egg labelling terms)
What's in a label?
There are many factors that affect how animal foods are produced, regulated, marketed, and perceived by consumers.
The jumble of marketing terms further complicates food decisions.
Understanding what these terms do (and do not) mean allows you to make educated choices when sourcing these foods.
*Ideally, these foods would be sourced from a trusted, local producer who is willing to share about their production process.
"CONVENTIONAL"
(not indicated on label)
PRODUCTS: beef, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy
DEFINITION: standard production, animals typically fed grain in CAFO/feedlots or barns
PROS:
+ more time/cost-effective
+ grain-fed cows produce higher grade meat (younger & more marbling)
CONS:
- some concerns about animal welfare, sustainability, environmental impacts, health impacts of pesticides
"ORGANIC"
PRODUCTS: beef, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy
DEFINITION: animals fed organic grain (no pesticides or GMOs), raised without hormones or antibiotics
PROS:
+ fewer toxins in final product
+ often more environmentally sustainable practices
+ slight nutrition benefits
CONS:
- does not differentiate how/where animals raised
- more expensive
"ALL-NATURAL"
PRODUCTS: beef, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy
DEFINITION: loosely regulated term, does not mean much in regards to animal products
PROS:
+ does not contain artificial or synthetic ingredients
CONS:
- primarily a marketing term
- can be misleading if used on processed foods
"REGENERATIVE/BIODYNAMIC”
PRODUCTS: beef, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy
DEFINITION: focus on agricultural practices that promote soil health, biodiversity, water conservation, etc
PROS:
+ promotes sustainability, health of plants and animals in context of ecosystem
CONS:
- difficult to implement on large scale in current system, (best on smaller, diversified farms)
"ANTIBIOTIC-FREE"
PRODUCTS: beef, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy
DEFINITION: no antibiotics in final food product (standard for all meat/eggs/dairy)
PROS:
+ antibiotics given for 2 reasons:
1) to promote growth
2) to treat infection
CONS:
- misnomer term (because is standard for all final food products; but ABs still often used early in life)
- potential AB resistance
"HORMONE-FREE"
AKA rbST/rbGH-free
PRODUCTS: beef, dairy
DEFINITION: no hormone injections (standard in beef/dairy, not approved in pork/ poultry)
PROS:
+ increase growth & milk production
+ final hormone levels in beef meat are negligible
CONS:
- rbST increases infection in dairy cows (=more AB use)
- higher IGF-1 levels in milk may promote human cancer
"CAGE-FREE”
PRODUCTS: poultry, eggs
DEFINITION: chickens not raised in cages, have ~1 sq ft indoors
PROS:
+ standard for chicken meat
+ cage-free eggs come from chickens with more space to move around (vs cage)
CONS:
- no outdoor access
"FREE-RANGE"
PRODUCTS: poultry, eggs
DEFINITION: chickens have an optional ~2 sq ft outdoors
PROS:
+ allows some outdoor access
CONS:
- may not go outdoors (and if they do, there may not be vegetation)
"PASTURE-RAISED"
PRODUCTS: beef, pork, poultry, eggs, dairy
DEFINITION: chickens have 108+ sq ft outside, cows/pigs raised in pasture
PROS:
+ most outdoor access
+ better nutritional content in eggs (more omega-3, vit D, vit E, beta-carotene)
CONS:
- more expensive
- beef & dairy: pasture-raised ≠ grass-fed (may be confusing on label)
"GRASS-FED"
PRODUCTS: beef, dairy
DEFINITION: beef/dairy cows fed some grass (does not apply to chickens/pigs, who need grain)
PROS:
+ fed some grass, usually early in life
CONS:
- may be finished on grain
- cows may have been raised in feedlot (hay-based feed can be considered grass)
"GRASS-FINISHED/100% GRASS-FED"
PRODUCTS: beef, dairy
DEFINITION: beef/dairy cows fed only grass their whole life
PROS:
+better nutritional content: less saturated fat, better omega 3:6 ratio, higher vit A & E, higher antioxidants
CONS:
- more expensive
- different milk taste & meat marbling (some consumers may not prefer)
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References
About rbGH. Center for Food Safety. Retrieved from: https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/1044/rbgh/about-rbgh
Banaszewska, D., Biesiada-Drzazga, B., Marciniuk, M., Hrnčár, C., Arpášová, H., & Kaim-Mirowski, S. (2020). Comparison of the quality of cage and organic eggs available in retail and their content of selected macroelements. Acta scientiarum polonorum. Technologia alimentaria, 19(2), 159–167. https://doi.org/10.17306/J.AFS.0797
Benbrook, C. M., Davis, D. R., Heins, B. J., Latif, M. A., Leifert, C., Peterman, L., Butler, G., Faergeman, O., Abel-Caines, S., & Baranski, M. (2018). Enhancing the fatty acid profile of milk through forage-based rations, with nutrition modeling of diet outcomes. Food science & nutrition, 6(3), 681–700. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.610
Biodynamic Principles and Practices. Biodynamics. Retrieved from: https://www.biodynamics.com/biodynamic-principles-and-practices
Bovine Somatotropin bST. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved from: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/bovine-somatotropin-bst
Chattopadhyay M. K. (2014). Use of antibiotics as feed additives: a burning question. Frontiers in microbiology, 5, 334. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2014.00334
Daley, C. A., Abbott, A., Doyle, P. S., Nader, G. A., & Larson, S. (2010). A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef. Nutrition journal, 9, 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-9-10
Graham, J. P., Boland, J. J., & Silbergeld, E. (2007). Growth promoting antibiotics in food animal production: an economic analysis. Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974), 122(1), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.1177/003335490712200111
Grass Fed FAQs. USDA. Retrieved from: https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Grass%20Fed%20FAQ.pdf
Jeong, S. H., Kang, D., Lim, M. W., Kang, C. S., & Sung, H. J. (2010). Risk assessment of growth hormones and antimicrobial residues in meat. Toxicological research, 26(4), 301–313. https://doi.org/10.5487/TR.2010.26.4.301
Meat and Poultry Labeling Terms. USDA. Retrieved from: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms
Muurinen, J., Richert, J., Wickware, C.L. et al. Swine growth promotion with antibiotics or alternatives can increase antibiotic resistance gene mobility potential. Sci Rep 11, 5485 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84759-9
National Research Council (US) Committee to Study the Human Health Effects of Subtherapeutic Antibiotic Use in Animal Feeds. The Effects on Human Health of Subtherapeutic Use of Antimicrobials in Animal Feeds. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1980. Appendix K, Antibiotics In Animal Feeds. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK216502/
Nogoy, K., Sun, B., Shin, S., Lee, Y., Zi Li, X., Choi, S. H., & Park, S. (2022). Fatty Acid Composition of Grain- and Grass-Fed Beef and Their Nutritional Value and Health Implication. Food science of animal resources, 42(1), 18–33. https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2021.e73
Romo Ventura, E., Konigorski, S., Rohrmann, S., Schneider, H., Stalla, G. K., Pischon, T., Linseisen, J., & Nimptsch, K. (2020). Association of dietary intake of milk and dairy products with blood concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in Bavarian adults. European journal of nutrition, 59(4), 1413–1420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-01994-7
Vigar, V., Myers, S., Oliver, C., Arellano, J., Robinson, S., & Leifert, C. (2019). A Systematic Review of Organic Versus Conventional Food Consumption: Is There a Measurable Benefit on Human Health?. Nutrients, 12(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12010007
Why Regenerative Agriculture. Regeneration International. Retrieved from: https://regenerationinternational.org/why-regenerative-agriculture/