Top 6 Misleading Beef Claims And How to Spot Them
Have you ever paid more for your food and discovered later the product did not live up to its claims? Maybe this happened to you and you don't even know it. Unfortunately, this happens daily to thousands of consumers who are trying to feed their families healthy and ethical food. Navigating label claims can be daunting and downright frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be this way for you. Our farm has raised grass-fed beef for the past 20 years and we’d like to offer you an inside look into this industry to help you cut through all the marketing fluff when shopping for true grass-fed beef. Beef is a big culprit when it comes to misleading claims. Why beef? One of the main reasons is that compared to chicken or pork, beef has a higher perceived value and therefore there’s a greater temptation for companies to increase profits using claims. This article exposes what I consider the most misleading claims you will encounter when shopping for beef. Before we start down the list, keep in mind that every single day over 100,000 cattle are harvested for food in the U.S [1] and 97% are packed in crowded feedlots and fed grain.[2] However, when you visit the grocery store you’ll notice that almost every brand or retailer is trying to make claims that their beef is somehow different or better. It doesn't add up. Spend a few minutes investigating this the next time you shop a grocery store and you'll see what I mean. The reality is that the beef industry has remained unchanged for decades and currently 85% of the beef sold at retail comes from the same four companies.[3] So with that added backstory, let’s get down to the truth of the matter...
