Everybody's telling us that we're supposed to eat organic. OK, but why? Because…uh…because…it's better and stuff? Most of us have no idea what the term "organic" really means, especially when it
comes to products like meat-the subject of last week's column.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which regulates these things, organic meat, poultry, eggs and dairy must come from animals raised without any antibiotics or growth hormones. Their feed must also be organic, meaning grown without conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. The Organic Trade Association assures us that organic livestock are given access to the outdoors, sunshine, grass and pasture and that their shelters or barns are designed to allow the animals an opportunity to exercise.
OK, yeah. Sunshine blah, blah, blah. That all sounds nice. But they're animals. What do I care? The USDA does not say organically produced meat is more nutritious than conventionally produced meat, nor do they say it's safer. But remember that the British government assured citizens it was perfectly safe to eat beef-until people started to die from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The disease was transmitted to humans who had eaten cows infected with Mad Cow disease (also known as BSE), which the cows got from eating recycled cow parts in their feed. So if you don't feel like trusting your government when they tell you, "Don't worry! It's safe!" no one in the European Union will blame you.
Obviously, Mad Cow hasn't been a problem in the US the way it has in Europe. In 1997, US regulations banned feeding most animal products to cows and other ruminants (sheep, goats, deer etc.), severely limiting the risk of BSE here. However, the regulations do allow conventionally produced cows to be fed feather meal, pork, horse and chicken bone and meal, gelatin and tallow, fat, oils and grease. Organic practices prohibit animal products of any kind to be fed to cows and other ruminants. Hey, why would a cow-they eat grass, remember-ever want to consume chicken feathers or pig bone meal? The average person could reasonably be expected to think that's not right.
What about hormones? Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry, but they are an issue in beef production. Hormones are given to animals to stimulate growth and milk production. The USDA and FDA claim hormone supplements are perfectly safe, but there is concern that hormones in cattle are related to breast and colon cancer in humans. The European Union, having learned the hard way to be suspicious of cattle supplements, has been struggling for decades to ban hormones in beef and dairy products.
As for antibiotics, before we started using them as drugs, people used to die from injuries and infections that these days wouldn't even keep us home from work. For many years now, farmers have been using those same antibiotics to keep their livestock healthy. But through natural selection, bacteria have become resistant to these antibiotics, an estimated 70 percent of which are administered to animals that aren't even sick. Just as our doctors tell us we can't have antibiotics without good reason, The American Medical Association, the World Health Organization and hundreds of other organizations are working to convince farmers to stop the routine use of antibiotics so that these drugs will still be effective when we need them. Even the National Pork Board counsels producers to only use antibiotics when absolutely necessary, but it is still completely legal, and common, for livestock to be regularly dosed up without good reason.
So why don't we make laws saying all meat should be organically produced? Great idea! A great idea for vegetarians and rich people, at least. The sad fact of the matter is we've got a lot of people living on this planet, and the majority of them rely on meat as a vital source of protein in their diet. Right now, organic producers can't put out nearly enough meat to feed everyone. Even in wealthy countries like the US, organic meats are expensive enough to make them a luxury for most.
It is a long, difficult and expensive process to transition from conventional livestock production to organic certification, and there are many steps in between. Looking carefully at the labels on meat can help you reach a middle ground you and your wallet are comfortable with.
At the supermarket you may see meat labeled as "natural." According to the USDA, "natural" doesn't mean much, just that the meat was minimally processed without any artificial additives or preservatives. However some producers label their meats "natural" and go further than USDA requirements. Stores like La Montañita Co-op, Whole Foods, Wild Oats and others sell some "natural" meats that are raised without antibiotics or added hormones and never fed animal by-products, even if they don't fully qualify as "organic." Always read meat labels carefully and feel free to ask complicated questions at the meat counter.
Tell me where to eat! I need your input. Send all of your tips, gripes and raves to food@sfreporter.com.
