Just recently, the USDA Agriculture Marketing Service (AMS) decided to revoke the label for grassfed meats. Farm and consumer organizations had worked hard to acquire a label for grassfed meat, which would give the consumer indication that the cows (from which the meat came) fed on grass, not feed. If a label was 100% grassfed, then the consumer knew that the cows had never been given any grain.
According to the USDA, the AMS did not have the legal authority to create the standards for grassfed meat, claiming instead that only the Food Safety Inspection Service has that power. Instead of allowing all agencies to come to an agreement on labeling standards, the USDA instead decided to throw out the label altogether.
What does this mean for you? You can no longer rely on labeling to know whether or not the meat you are buying is grassfed at the grocery store. Even if a company or farm says their meat is grass fed, since there is no label standard, it really has no meaning.
What can you do? Make friends with a local farmer! Find a good farmer and buy your meat directly from the source. You can even go in with a few friends and buy in bulk; you are likely to get a discounted price that way! Buy your meats through a reputable grocer who REALLY cares about the quality of food they carry and knows the companies from which they buy. If you are local to Dallas we love Green Grocer Micro Market on Greenville.
