We Put Our Meat to the Test: Here's What We Found
At Grass Roots, we believe that part of trusting where your food comes from is knowing exactly what’s in it. That's why we offer full transparency: we post our livestock standards online, include tracking labels on our products from farm to processor, and share every ingredient so you can be confident in what you're consuming.
To take this transparency a step further, we decided to test our grass-fed, pastured meat to show just how much better it really is. While we know that pasture-raised, grass-fed animals are healthier and happier, we’re excited to share how the nutrients they consume directly impact the meat you’re enjoying from our family farms.
For this test, we focused on Omega-3 fatty acids. Known for their many health benefits—ranging from reducing the risk of heart disease to improving mental health—Omega-3s are a key measure of nutritional value in our meat.
Experts recommend an intake of 250-2000mg of Omega-3s (EPA and DHA) per day for optimal health. Unfortunately, over 2/3 of adults and 95% of children in the US are deficient in Omega-3s, a deficiency linked to premature death.
We partnered with Lipid Technologies, the leading facility in Omega-3 testing, led by Dr. Doug Bibus, a renowned expert in the field. Dr. Bibus' work stems from his time in the academic lab of Dr. Ralph T. Holman, who coined the term ‘omega-3’. The fatty acids were analyzed using traditional methods, including acid hydrolysis and gas chromatography (GC), with results expressed in milligrams (mg) of fatty acids per 100g serving.
Here's what happened when the expert tested our products...
Results from this study demonstrate that our pasture raised chicken, pork, and beef, have significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids including EPA and DHA, the long-chain omega 3s. As you probably know by now, all of our animals are pasture-raised and grass-fed which is important to note with this study.
Grass-fed protein sources have a number of nutritional advantages, including their omega 3 content. While we can consume omega 3 dietary supplements, food-based solutions are a preferred method and our meats provide an excellent dietary option for omega 3.
Let's break it down by each animal
Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Beef
• Grasslands are often comprised of varieties of different grasses and plants. Grazing and ruminant animals like beef consume and ferment grasses and fiber to metabolic substrates that they can then digest. In this scenario, cows actually feed the bacteria in their stomach indigestible fibers which the bacteria, in turn, convert to fatty acids which they then can absorb.
• Our 90% extra lean grass-fed ground beef had 200mg of total omega 3 per 100g serving compared to 36mg for conventional beef
• Long-chain omega-3 comprised 64mg in grass-fed beef versus 0mg of long-chain omega 3 was reported for conventional beef
• A 100g serving of grass-fed beef containing 64mg of long-chain omega 3 provides about 25% of the threshold level of 250mg proposed by experts as the threshold level for cardio-protection
Pasture-Raised Chicken
• While on pasture chickens actively forage on plants, bugs, and grubs. Insects and grubs also contain omega-3 fatty acids
• The meat and fat of the birds consuming our pasture-based diet are markedly enriched in omega-3 fats as well
• Our chicken breast was found to contain 107mg of omega 3 per 100g serving compared to 26mg in conventional chicken breast - nearly a 4 fold increase. It also supplied 40mg of EPA, DPA, and DHA compared to 13mg in conventional chicken.
• Total omega-3 for our chicken thighs was 397mg per 100g serving compared to 165mg in conventional chicken - one serving contributes nearly 25% of the recommended daily intake of omega 3!
• Collectively, pastured strategies for chicken produce meat with meaningful dietary amounts of omega-3. They also produce reduced omega-6 to omega-3 ratios that support greater conversion of omega-3 and improved omega-3 status. So, is chicken good for you? Yes!
Forested Pork
• Pigs have long been known to efficiently metabolize plant-based omega-3 into long-chain omega-3 like EPA and DHA.
• Our pork chops contained 481mg of total omega-3 per 100g serving. Total omega-3 levels were approximately 10 x higher than conventionally raised pork that contained 46mg of omega-3.
• Our ground pork was similarly elevated in omega-3, with 650mg per 100g serving compared to 250mg total omega 3 in conventional pork. Long-chain omega-3 in ground pork was found to be 112mg per 100g serving. Roughly half the recommended daily serving for cardiovascular health promotion1
Needless to say, we are delighted with these results. The levels of healthy, good fats support our long-held beliefs in the value of pasture-raising all our animals. While there have been numerous studies on the health benefits of grass-fed, grass-finished beef, data around pastured chicken and forested pork has been less available. This study provides the scientific backup that real meat, raised right really is better for you!
Sources
Mozaffarian D1, Wu JH. Omega-3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease: effects on risk factors, molecular pathways, and clinical events. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2011 Nov 8;58(20):2047-67.
Turner TD1, Mapiye C, Aalhus JL, Beaulieu AD, Patience JF, Zijlstra RT, Dugan ME. Flaxseed fed pork: n-3 fatty acid enrichment and contribution to dietary recommendations. Meat Sci. 2014 Jan;96(1):541-7. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.08.021. Epub 2013 Aug 19.