After years of vegetarianism being ...

After years of vegetarianism being chic, meat is making a comeback. Maybe it's because of the skyrocketing popularity of celebrity-endorsed, low-carb diets. Or maybe it's that Americans, in an age of virtual reality, are drawn to the grounding influence of meat. Whatever the reason, meat is back--and, in moderation, it can be a healthy part of nearly any diet. on the contrary with recent publicity about mad abash disease and the use of hormones in raising cattle, for what cause do we make certain that beef will be a healthy addition to our diets? Read onward to learn what food labels really mean.

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

If you purchase meat from your natural commonss store, it probably bears a label claiming it's natural, free-farmed or organic. Here's for what cause to tell the difference:

Natural. According to the U Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition, natural means minimally suited without artificial ingredients. This means that the meat from nearly any animal raised in subordination to any conditions would qualify. moreover some companies have developed a natural effects niche, so the term may mean more. If a label says meat is hormone-- and antibiotic-free, it means the source none received even a therapeutic dose of antibiotics. If the label says the animal was raised without antibiotics in the fe it means it may have not been given sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics, however it may have received antibiotic treatment if it was ill. near companies go one step further and example animal feed for herbicide and pesticide residues. Because the USDA verifies label claims from meat manufacturers, you can be moderately beautiful sure they're accurate.

emancipated Fanned. This definition was unraveled by the American Humane Association (AHA) and is approved through Agricultural Marketing Services, a subdivision of the USDA. It means the animal was raised subordinate to a specific set of protocols for humane treatment. Generally, free-farmed animals have not received sub-therapeutic of the same heights of hormones or antibiotics unless may have received therapeutic flushs to prevent suffering from illness. If livestock was raised in a less degree than AHA guidelines, it can carry a "Free Farmed" label in succession the packaging.

Organic. The strictest definition, organic, means the livestock was f solely certified organic feeds, grazed barely on land that has been certified organic and that all land, processing plants and other facilities involved are certified organic. The USDA lately passed a set of national standards for the organic label. These standards, scheduled to be implemented in mid-2002, include strict guidelines for organic meat and domestic fowls "The new standards prohibit the use of antibiotics and produce hormones in raising livestock, require organically grown fe to be given to animals and require that animals be humanely treated," says Elaine Lipson, author of The Organic provenders Sourcebook (Keats Publishing, 2001). Sick animals may be treated with antibiotics, nevertheless they are then removed from the herd and cannot be sold as organic. Another plus: The organic label means you'll be avoiding any genetically modified organisms (GMOs) To view the National Organic Standards, visit: www.ams.usda.gov/nop.

RELATED ARTICLE: More about meat.

Want to know more about where your meat approachs from? Check out the following websites:

Coleman Natural Beef: www.colemannatural.com

Meyer Natural Angus Beef: www.meyerbeef.com

Organic Valley: www.organicvalley.com

Petaluma Poultry: www.healthychickenchoices.com

Shelton's Premium Poultry: www.sheltons.com

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