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I really want to eat
healthier in 2008; what cuts of beef
are available to me?
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What are the
different types of beef?
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What does the "sell
by" date on beef packages really
mean?
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I really want to eat healthier in 2008; what cuts of beef are available to me?
We invite you to “Go Lean” with the 29 lean cuts of beef.
On average, one 3 ounce serving of lean beef provides only 179 calories and is an excellent
source of protein, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorous, and a good source of: niacin,
vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin.
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What are the different types of beef? |
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What is the difference between grass-fed beef and corn-fed beef?
Cattle spend the first year or more
of their lives in the pasture, but
for the final 3-6 months, the vast
majority of U.S. beef cattle are fed
a nutritionally balanced mixture of
grain and nutrients. On a small
number of U.S. farms, ranchers raise
cattle that continue to feed on
grass through the final stage. There
are no safety or significant
nutritional differences between
grass-finished and grain-finished
products. The principle differences
are taste and texture. It's a choice
that is available to consumers. Most
American consumers prefer the taste
of beef that comes from
corn-finished cattle. The
grass-finished market aims to
satisfy a small group of consumers
who prefer the concept of cattle
grazing through the final stage of
production.
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What is the difference between
natural and organic beef?
The USDA's definition of natural
meat is that the meat is minimally
processed and free of additives such
as preservatives, artificial flavors
or colors. Most fresh beef is
natural; beef that is not, such as
beef that has an added marinade or
solution, will always have an
ingredient label. If the package
does not include an ingredient
label, the beef is natural, that is,
free of additives such as
preservatives, artificial flavors or
colors.
In October 2002, USDA announced it
will certify foods that are at least
95% organic with a special seal. To
be certified organic, a beef product
must meet a number of criteria
specified in USDA's national
standards for production, handling
and processing of organically
produced agricultural products. In
order for beef products to be
labeled organic, the livestock must
have been fed only organic feed
(grass or grain) and received no
antibiotics or growth promotants.
Vaccines are permitted to keep the
livestock healthy.
The USDA rule on organic foods,
along with detailed fact sheets and
other background information, is
available at
http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
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I've heard a lot of about different
types of beef. What does this mean?
There are essentially four types of
beef produced by America’s beef
producers known as conventional,
branded, certified organic and
grass-finished. Beef producers have
production choices, which allow them
to provide consumers with a variety
of quality beef products to choose
from. Because the U.S. beef industry
is consumer-focused and
market-driven, consumer choices lead
the industry’s efforts.
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Are all types of beef inspected for
safety?
Yes. All beef, regardless of type,
is subject to strict government
oversight. U.S. procedures require
that all U.S. cattle be inspected by
a USDA inspector or veterinarian
before going to slaughter.
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What kind of beef is typically found
in grocery stores?
Most of the beef you see in your
grocery store’s meat case is
conventional. Conventional beef
comes from cattle that are raised in
pastures for the majority of their
lives, typically 12 to 18 months,
and then are fed a grain-based diet
designed to meet their many
nutritional needs for 120 to 200
days.
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Why is the term "natural" used when
referring to some types of beef?
Most fresh beef you find in the meat
case is natural. Natural beef refers
to beef that has been minimally
processed and contains no additives,
which means no artificial flavors,
colors or preservatives. This
definition applies to all meat that
does not have an ingredient label (a
label is added if the product
includes a marinade or solution).
So, if there’s no ingredient label,
it is natural.
Some manufacturers use the term
"natural" for marketing purposes. To
determine exactly what a producer of
natural beef means by the use of the
term natural, consumers should read
the product label or contact the
manufacturer.
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What is branded beef?
Branded beef products are marketed
by a company based on the product
specifications or production
standards required for their brand.
A brand could be based on the breed
of cattle or a name given to a beef
program that follows set
specifications.
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Where are branded beef products
sold?
Branded beef is sold at restaurants
and grocery stores. Some familiar
types of branded beef include
"Certified Angus Beef" and
"Cattleman's Collection."
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Are branded beef products inspected
by the USDA?
Yes. All U.S. cattle are inspected
by a USDA inspector or veterinarian.
Some companies request government
approval of their product label
through the Food Safety and
Inspection Service (FSIS) while
others ask the government to verify
their brand specifications through
the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS)
process verification.
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What is certified organic beef?
Certified organic beef must meet
USDA National Organic Program
standards. With the Organic Foods
Production Act, effective October
2002, USDA standards were set for
all food labeled organic. For beef,
this means:
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Cattle must be fed 100
percent organic feed, but
may be provided certain
vitamin and mineral
supplements.
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Organically raised cattle
may not be given hormones to
promote growth or
antibiotics for any reason.
However, if an animal is
sick, the animal cannot be
denied treatment to ensure
its health; any animal that
is treated with antibiotics
is taken out of the National
Organic Program.
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Practically all cattle meet
the national organic
standard that requires
ruminants to have access to
pasture. |
Organic beef must be certified
through USDA's Agricultural
Marketing Service (AMS).
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Can organic beef be produced
conventionally?
Yes. Some organic beef is
conventionally produced, where
cattle are raised in pastures for
the majority of their lives,
typically 12 to 18 months, and then
are fed a grain-based diet for
approximately for 120 to 200 days.
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What is grass-finished beef?
Grass-finished beef comes from
cattle that have grazed in pastures
their entire lives.
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How is grass-finished beef different
than conventional beef?
Conventionally produced beef comes
from cattle that spend most of their
lives on pasture but are finished on
a carefully balanced, grain-based
diet.
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Does this mean that grass-finished
beef is organic?
Grass-finished beef is not
necessarily raised organically.
Consumers can recognize organic
products by looking for the "USDA
Certified Organic" label.
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What are the benefits of
grass-finished beef?
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As a result of the
forage-based diet
grass-finished animals
receive throughout their
lives, grass-finished beef
tends to grade “Select,”
which means it has minimal
intramuscular fat or
marbling. Conventional beef
graded “Select” has the same
level of leanness as
grass-finished beef.
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Grass-finished beef, on
average, can contain as much
as double the amount of CLA,
a polyunsaturated fatty acid
that health professionals
believe has cancer-fighting
properties, which is found
in other types of beef.
However, it is not clear if
there is a health benefit in
this difference. Further
research is required.
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In 2003, a University of
Nebraska, Lincoln review of
nine studies on tenderness
concluded that
grass-finished cattle
produce beef that is less
tender than beef from
grain-finished cattle (in
both shear force and taste
panel testing).
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The analysis of existing
flavor panel studies also
showed consumers preferred
the overall flavor of
grain-finished beef compared
to grass-finished beef. This
study can be found at:
http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/beef/mp80.pdf.
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Are there lean beef options for each
type of beef?
Consumers have lean beef choices no
matter what type of beef they are
purchasing.
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29 cuts of beef meet
government guidelines for
lean (low in fat, saturated
fat and cholesterol) – and
that includes some of
America’s favorites like
tenderloin, T-bone steak and
95 percent lean ground beef.
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Leaner cuts are conveniently
found in your local grocery
store. Just look for the
words "round" and "loin" in
the name, such as sirloin or
round tip.
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In the Meat Case |
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What does the "sell by" date on beef
packages really mean?
Product Dating is a useful guide for
consumers and for retailers. It
helps retailers maintain fresh
product, and it helps consumers with
the storage and preparation of food
at home. "Sell-by" dates can be put
on products by the manufacturer or
the retailer. These are quality
dates and have no correlation to
safety. Products can be sold and
consumed safely after the sell-by
date. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture allows for sell-by
dating as long as the product
remains wholesome. Dates cannot be
changed to products that carry a
federally inspected seal.
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Is
artificial color added to beef?
No, fresh beef has no additional
coloring or artificial ingredients.
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