Meat Industry News

Whole Foods is making news. It will become the first major food business in the country to support a commitment to slower-growing breeds and better living conditions for chickens by 2024. But is this real?

Here is the full story from Compassion in World Farming. The point of the story is:

For decades, the (chicken) industry’s focus has been on producing a chicken as big, as fast, and as cheap as possible. But there have been disastrous unintended consequences for the birds - lameness, heart conditions, and immune function problems, to name a few. It’s high time we give chickens a life worth living,” said Leah Garces, US Director of Compassion in World Farming and Global Animal Partnership board member.

Release No. 0183.14   Contact: Jay Fletcher (202) 690-0498

USDA Announces $25 Million for Agricultural Entrepreneurs

to Turn Commodities into Value-Added Products

PINK SLIME -  Are concerns for Pink Slime based on nutritional deficiencies?  Is there a food safety issue?  If it's not a nutritional issue or a food safety issue, then what is the problem?  Shall we examine the facts?

If people want to worry about the foods they eat, there are two ways to go about it.  One is to run around screaming about myths and erroneous perceptions.  The other is to ask meaningful questions and embrace proven scientific facts.  For starters, the most popular picture of pink slime (left) that circulates on the Internet is not a picture of the actual product (right).  Is that a red flag?

PROBLEM FAT REMOVED -  Tyson completes the removal of unhealthy trans-fatty acids from its processed meat products.

Springdale, Arkansas-headquartered meat processor Tyson Foods has completed the process of removing trans-fatty acids from its fully cooked breaded poultry retail and "child nutrition" school foodservice products.

“The initiative, announced in February 2004 with Tyson branded breaded chicken products, including nuggets, patties, and tenders, is now complete,” the company announced in a release.  While Tyson chicken, beef and pork are naturally low in trans-fatty acids, the company changed its recipes to offer a healthier choice without sacrificing taste and quality.  Tyson’s ZERO trans-fatty acid products are available on supermarket shelves nationally.

Many people land on this Web page because they are wondering if Laura's Lean Beef is grass-fed.  Her main line of "Natural" meats have never been grass-fed.  They are grain-fed just like Tyson's "select grade" meats that you can buy at Wal Mart.  "Natural," "organic," "free range," "heart friendly," "lean," and terms like those mean nothing when it comes to nutrition.  Only grass-fed meats offer a nutritional difference in the meat category.  Recently Laura's Lean started to distribute some grass-fed meat.  We give her credit for that.  I guess she finally learned why natural is not worth a hoot.  In spite of that knowledge most of her sales are still "natural."  To learn why there is just a huge difference between "natural and organic" and genuine "grass-fed" I invite you to visit other sections of my Website such as Why Grass-Fed,  Omega-3 Essays , and Science Links.  I'm glad you dropped in and I welcome you to my world of real food.  This is your chance to really learn about the Best and Worst Foods offered in America.  If you are concerned about heart health, the Why Grass-Fed link has a copy of my detailed blood lipid profile that you can download.

Ted Slanker

April 1, 2003