Lean beef cuts trimmed of exterior fat can provide as few as 4 grams of fat in 3 ounces. • BSE (mad cow disease) • Types of Beef (Natural, Branded, Certified Organic, Grass-finished) • High Protein Diets • In the Meat Case • Irradiated Beef • E. coli • Antibiotics & Hormones • FMD (Foot & Mouth Disease) • Humane Animal Treatment BSE (mad cow disease) For answers to frequently asked questions on BSE (commonly known as mad cow disease), please see our FAQ page. For further information, please visit BSEinfo.org. Back to Top Types of Beef (Natural, Branded, Certified Organic, Grass-finished) • 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. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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." Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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: •   Cattle must be fed 100 percent organic feed, but may be provided certain vitamin and mineral supplements. •   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. •   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). Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • What is grass-finished beef? Grass-finished beef comes from cattle that have grazed in pastures their entire lives. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • 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. Back to Top • What are the benefits of grass-finished beef? •   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. •   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. •   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). •   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. Back to Top • Are there lean beef options for each type of beef? Consumers have lean beef choices no matter what type of beef they are purchasing. •   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. •   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. Back to Top High Protein Diets • Are high protein diets a good idea? High-protein, low-carbohydrate diets are being promoted in recent media and literature as a weight-loss method, but there is no scientific reason to eat according to such extreme rules. Research has shown that a moderate protein diet that includes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, lean meats and whole grains, as well as physical activity can help with weight loss and maintenance of muscle mass. This fits well with the recent recommendation of the National Academies' Institute of Medicine's report on Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI), which encourages people to get 10 percent to 35 percent of their calories from protein. Back to Top In the Meat Case • 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. Back to Top • Is artificial color added to beef? No, fresh beef has no additional coloring or artificial ingredients. Back to Top Irradiated Beef • What is irradiation and is it safe to eat irradiated beef products? Food irradiation is a controlled process that introduces food to ionizing energy that destroys bacteria. Irradiation is sometimes referred to as "cold pasteurization" because it works without heat. In ground beef, irradiation has been proven safe and effective against E. coli O157:H7. Irradiation complements, but does not replace, proper food handling. Food irradiation has been studied extensively during the past 50 years. Irradiation has long been approved for pork, poultry, wheat, white potatoes, spices and fresh fruits and vegetables and is approved by more than 40 countries around the world. The Food and Drug Administration approved irradiation of red meats in December 1997. Back to Top E. coli • How can I cook ground been to ensure that it doesn't have E. coli? Ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160ºF It is strongly recommended that an instant-read meat thermometer be used when cooking ground beef patties and meatloaf to determine doneness/internal temperature. The temperature sensing part of the thermometer should penetrate the center or thickest part of the patty. Back to Top Antibiotics & Hormonoes • Why do beef producers use antibiotics to treat cattle and how does that impact human health? Like humans, animals get sick, and veterinarians need antibiotics to treat and prevent diseases. The judicious use of antibiotics can prevent the much wider spread of disease among animals. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association has adopted guidelines for judicious use of antibiotics. Cattle producers are dedicated to using safe, FDA approved antibiotics only when needed for the health of cattle. Beef producers know healthy animals produce safe, high quality food. Regarding human health, the world's leading scientists on the issue of antibiotics recently concluded that, in 50 years of antibiotic use in animals and man, the development of resistance in animals has not made a major impact on human and animal health. U.S. cattlemen are committed to producing safe, high-quality beef and work to achieve these goals through the industry's Beef Quality Assurance Program, an educational program to help producers raise wholesome beef. Back to Top • Are most cattle given hormones, and what impact does that have on human health? Most beef cattle are given a small, time-release hormone pellet (smaller than a No. 2 pencil eraser) that is implanted in the back side of the ear and disappears well before harvest. This helps the beef industry produce a leaner and less expensive product for consumers. The hormone growth promoters do not increase the amount of hormones in beef by any appreciable amount. A 3-oz. serving of beef from a steer raised without hormone implants contains 1.3 nanograms of estrogen (a nanogram is one-billionth of a gram) and the same size serving from an implanted steer contains 1.9 nanograms. A difference of seven-tenths of a billionth of a gram is insignificant given that the average adult woman naturally produces 480,000 nanograms of estrogen daily and an adult man produces 136,000 nanograms. Hormones are present in many types of foods and have no effect on human health. Both plant and animal foods naturally contain some hormones but beef contains significantly lower amounts of estrogen than other foods including cabbage, potatoes, peas, milk, soybean oil and wheat germ. Back to Top FMD (Foot & Mouth Disease) • Is Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) a human threat? No, FMD is an animal disease that affects animals with cloven hooves, but humans are not susceptible to the disease. The Centers for Disease Control does not consider FMD a food safety of human health concern. Back to Top • Is FMD related to the childhood illness known as Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD)? No. FMD is not the same as HFMD. HFMD is a common illness among infants and children and is characterized by fevers, sores in the mouth and a rash with blisters. While the names are similar, the diseases are not related and are caused by separate viruses. Back to Top Humane Animal Treatment • How do I know that the meat I buy at the store is from animals that are treated humanely? Ranchers follow animal care and welfare guidelines developed by veterinarians and animal behaviorists to ensure animals are raised humanely. Animal welfare is a personal as well as an economic interest for ranchers. Many American ranchers come from a long line of ranching families and take personal pride in their animals and their well-being. Moreover, keeping animals healthy and stress-free is critically important to animal growth and productivity. Stressed and injured animals do not grow and are not profitable. Handling programs followed by cattle producers today are the result of years of research and experience. The industry's Beef Quality Assurance program, created by the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, works to guarantee cattlemen have the most current tools and training necessary to ensure animal welfare. Back to Top

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