Natural Meat For Christmas Dinner

Natural meat products are a hot topic in the food industry these days. You've probably seen it at your supermarket, labeled in a number of ways. It may state “all natural”, “organic” “minimally processed” or “no artificial ingredients”. Although the different labeling makes for a confused consumer, nonetheless the natural meat market has grown from just over $100 million in 1996 to about $3 billion today.

High-end restaurants, big chains and small neighborhood cafes are all jumping on the natural meat bandwagon. Consumer demand, safety and health concerns are driving this market. There's no question that truly natural meat is superior in flavor, tenderness and has a definite clean taste and texture. The difference is outstanding, and is worth the higher price.

Animals grown for the natural meat market are “free-range” which means they are given lots of room to roam. They are not kept in crowded pens or forced indoor living quarters. Free-range animals are not given antibiotics or growth hormones. If the free-range label does not state “no growth hormones or antibiotics”, ask your butcher to be sure. Raising animals in open spaces and feeding them quality foods, such as whole grains and organic (pesticide-free) grass costs the producer more, so the price at the market will be higher.

Natural meat is better for your health and safety. It stands to reason that the growth hormones and antibiotics with which meat has been injected is going to enter your body when you consume the meat. There have been cases of cancer diagnosed in humans which were determined to be “hormone driven” which means the cancer may have resulted from hormones consumed in meat and dairy products. This makes a strong case for a switch to natural meat.

There are also concerns with the antibiotics fed to animals that may lead to reduced effectiveness of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor. Animals fed with animal by-products pose the risk of Mad Cow Disease, a wasting disease of the brain. This single fact has given the natural meat market a big boost in consumer demand.

The confusion caused by variations in labeling needs to be addressed. Definitions do not accompany the label, so it's hard to know what “organic” means as opposed to “all natural”. How about “minimally processed”? That evidently means “not enhanced”! The meat industry is working to straighten out the confusion with some straightforward meaningful labeling.

Until they do, when looking for natural meat, ask your butcher. He knows his suppliers and can tell you whether it contains growth hormones or antibiotics, and if the animal was fed animal by-products. Try a free-range beef or chicken for your Christmas dinner. You'll taste the difference!