Difference Between Grass Fed Beef & Grain Fed Beef
Grain-fed beef is the heavily-marbled, inexpensive red meat most familiar to US consumers. Grass-fed cattle produce meat that is more nutritious and lower in fat, but is less tender and flavorful than grain-fed beef.
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Mass Production
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Until the middle of the 20th century, all of the beef in the US was produced from cattle who lived their lives in pastures, feeding on grasses. Consumer demand for inexpensive meat gave rise to the practice of feeding grain to cattle.
Feedlots
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The enclosures used for the rapid fattening of large numbers of cattle are known as feedlots. For several months, the animals are fed grains, such as corn and soy, as well as a number of agricultural by-products, which fatten them up for slaughter in a fraction of the time required for grass-fed cattle.
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Ruminants
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Some hoofed herbivores, including cattle have evolved with a specialized digestive system and developed a symbiotic relationship with a variety of microbes, allowing for the digestion of fibrous plants and grasses through fermentation, but not corn or other foods high in starch. These animals are called ruminants.
Subacute Acidosis
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Grain-fed beef cattle often require a number of antibiotics and other chemicals to bolster their immune systems weakened by complications that stem from an increase in digestive acids. This practice has introduced antibiotic and acid-resistant strains of bacteria into the US food supply.
Lower Nutrional Values
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The Northwestern Health Sciences University notes that:
"Studies have shown that meat from animals raised in feedlots often contain more total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and calories. Products from grain-fed animals also contain less vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids."
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of David Oliva
