Recipes

[lovinglife]

A grass fed animal will create some fat which would then be used to create the 80/20 mix.  They may get the fat from the brisket.

[Noel7]

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@lovinglife wrote:

A grass fed animal will create some fat which would then be used to create the 80/20 mix.  They may get the fat from the brisket.

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@lovinglife

That's what I'm thinking, also.  Fat added to ground beef adds flavor.

I am not waiting in anticipation for my next meal of low fat ground beef because I don't like the texture, it's gritty, and because it has seriously reduced flavor.

[Nightowlz]

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@Nightowlz wrote:

Even though the hamburger is grass fed it shows it's an 80/20 mix. The 20% fat would come from the cow eating GMO corn to get fattened up before processing. Grass fed beef does not have all that fat in it. IMO they should not be able to label it grass fed beef. At the very least they should have to put grain fed on the label.

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@Nightowlz

Would they be able to label it "All Natural" if it was GMO?

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Yes. From what I understand All Natural on a food label means absolutley nothing. A lot of people have been complaining to the FDA about using the word Natural on food labels. The FDA is taking comments until May 10, 2016 regarding the subject. After that time they will review the comments before deciding how to move forward. I don't look to see change any time soon. There is a link to the FDA in this article to get to their comment section.

Here's what 'All Natural' food labels actually mean | Clark Howard

What a "natural" food label really means

You'd think foods that come with a giant "natural" label slapped across the front of the package would be, well, all-natural. That's the idea -- marketers want shoppers to think that "natural' food products lack artificial flavors, color additives or preservatives, but that's not necessarily the case.

In fact, that "natural" label really means nothing. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is no formal rule about when foods can be labeled "natural" -- the group only has a policy regarding what that label should mean.

The FDA has considered the term “natural” to mean that nothing artificial or synthetic (including all color additives regardless of source) has been included in, or has been added to, a food that would not normally be expected to be in that food.

According to the USDA, products with an “All Natural” label can still contain a multitude of additives, hormones, genetically modified ingredients (GMOs), antibiotics, pesticides and more.

Here are some things shoppers who want to get healthy may look for -- and the labels you can trust:

• "All Natural": Look for the "100% USDA Organic" seal or purchase more raw, whole foods. 

• Green labels/packaging: Look at the foods' certifications — not just the color of the packaging.

• "Organic": Solution: Look for the "100% USDA Organic" seal.

• "Whole grain" or "multigrain": Look for the "100% Whole Grain" stamp.

• "Free range" or "grass-fed": Don't just trust the label. Do some research around specific company practices before buying at the store; also consider purchasing from local farmers.

http://www.clarkhoward.com/fda-natural-food-label-actually-means-nothing

[Nightowlz]

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@momtochloe wrote:

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@Nightowlz wrote:

Even though the hamburger is grass fed it shows it's an 80/20 mix. The 20% fat would come from the cow eating GMO corn to get fattened up before processing. Grass fed beef does not have all that fat in it. IMO they should not be able to label it grass fed beef. At the very least they should have to put grain fed on the label.

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@Nightowlz I'm not familiar with this so I need to ask you a couple of questions.

Does this mean these burgers are formulated that the beef itself is grass fed but then they mix the fat in from non-grass fed cows?  How would you know that the fat is corn fed and not grass fed (or is that because of the fat to beef ratio is so high)?

Many thanks in advance for your help with this, I really appreciate it.

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I doubt they are mixing grass fed with not grass fed beef. That would probably run into more costs.

We have a local farmer that sells grass fed beef. There is no fat in their hamburger etc so I asked her about it. She told me you have to watch those grass fed meats because a lot of them finish their beef on grain to fatten them up before they go to market so they can get more money. They don't grain feed any of their animals. 

I guess they can label it as grass fed even if it's finished on grain. You have to research the seller.

Meat won't have fat if they only ate grass. They fatten them up with corn, soy & other grains which most are GMO. Is cheaper to feed them this instead of grass & hay. Feeding them corn soy & other grains make them sick so they give them antibiotics & hormones. 

A lot of people don't like it 100% grass fed because it's dry since there is not fat. 

Kind of like Bison with no fat & you have to cook it different then a regular hamburger so it's not dry. I have ate Bison burgers & they are good.

[Nightowlz]

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@Nightowlz

This is all I am able to find:

Although grassfed meat is low in "bad" fat (including saturated fat), it gives you from two to six times more of a type of "good" fat called "omega-3 fatty acids."  

Omega-3 fatty acids play a vital role in every cell and system in your body.  For example, of all the fats, they are the most "heart friendly." People who have ample amounts of omega-3s in their diet are less likely to have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat.  Remarkably, they are 50 percent less likely to have a serious heart attack.

http://www.americangrassfedbeef.com/grass-fed-natural-beef.asp

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No. I just know what the local farmer has told me. I buy their meat & it has no fat. They sell grass fed beef at a local grocery store. I looked it up online & they say they finish their beef on grains. Other then the added Omega 3 benefits here are a few more benefits.

•Less total fat. This means a 100 calorie difference in a six ounce steak
•More heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids
•More conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid that may reduce the risk for heart disease and cancer
•Higher levels of antioxidants
•Higher levels of vitamins A and E.

[Nightowlz]

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@Noel7 wrote:

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@lovinglife wrote:

A grass fed animal will create some fat which would then be used to create the 80/20 mix.  They may get the fat from the brisket.

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@lovinglife

That's what I'm thinking, also.  Fat added to ground beef adds flavor.

I am not waiting in anticipation for my next meal of low fat ground beef because I don't like the texture, it's gritty, and because it has seriously reduced flavor.

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There is no fat on the grass fed beef we buy.

I doubt if there was fat on say a brisket they would cut it off to add it to grass fed beef with no fat so it has some fat in it. That would not be cost prohibitive. I doubt they could get enough fat from true grass fed beef to cut out & add to the hamburger since there's more hamburger after you process. 

[momtochloe]

@Nightowlz thank you so much for this.  I am in the western suburbs of Chicago and access to local products is a work in progress right now but I more than appreciate your information.

When I was married we would visit my ex's children in Iowa and had the absolute best steak in my life (many, many years ago) and I would imagine the cattle was treated much better than what we now find in grocery stores these days.

Thanks to everyone for their help with this as I truly appreciate it!

[Noel7]

@Nightowlz

Thank you so much for all of the information you've shared.  I appreciate the time and energy you put into this  

I'm disappointed the labeling can be so misleading, I hope they can tighten that up so we are able to make more informed choices.

[sktchy]

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@momtochloe wrote:

@Noel7 I would love to try those burgers along with their Gyro Slices and the Sweet Onion and Bacon Vinaigrette . . . all sound delish!

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Oh boy -  I had the Sweet Onion and Bacon Vinaigrette on a spinach salad with gruieye cheese - delicious.  I also tried the beets in a vinaigrette - very good too -

[momtochloe]

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@sktchy wrote:

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@momtochloe wrote:

@Noel7 I would love to try those burgers along with their Gyro Slices and the Sweet Onion and Bacon Vinaigrette . . . all sound delish!

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Oh boy -  I had the Sweet Onion and Bacon Vinaigrette on a spinach salad with gruieye cheese - delicious.  I also tried the beets in a vinaigrette - very good too -

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Oh good grief @sktchy, I was just there and forget to go look for it!  I just added it on to the next shopping list . . . grrrrr.

And apparently they are sold out across the country for these Gyro Slices.  They sold out within two hours and the supplier is trying to catch up so it may be a long wait before they appear again . . .