Following is a list of meat terminology.
All-Natural: This label on meat is one of the most obscure of them all. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a all-natural label on meat means that it has undergone minimal processing and contains no artificial ingredients. However, meat marked with the all-natural label can come from animals that have ingested growth hormones or antibiotics.
Grain-fed: The majority of meat in the United States comes from animals that have been fed a diet of fermented grain feed, based on corn and soybeans. Cows are grass eater by nature and this diet is difficult on their digestive system, prompting the need of antibiotics. This diet is the norm for livestock raised in factory farms because it speeds up the growth and fat distribution (marbling) of the beef.
Grass-fed/Pasture-Raised: There is widespread belief based on scientific study that when animals eat grass, their meat will be lower in saturated fats and higher in nutrients, like omega 3-fatty acids and vitamin E, creating a healthier, leaner product. Grassfed beef tends to have a meatier flavor and a cleaner finish.
Grain-finished: This term refers to feeding pastured animals a grain diet for about 6 weeks before slaughter to provide a more marbled finish to the meat.
Heritage: Breeds of animals are considered heritage when they reproduce and are genetically maintained through self-breeding.
Organic: The Natural Organic Program, run by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is responsible for the legal definition of organic in the United States and for organic certification. Every country has a slightly different definition of organic. In the US, organic meat is meat that comes from livestock that have not been raised on routine administration of antibiotics and growth hormones. For factory farm, grain-fed animals, their feed cannot be made up of genetically modified grains.
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