Health-conscious food is a big business, and the term "organic" is often used in a misleading way. Walk through any supermarket and you'll see that a large percentage of meat packaging makes claims such as "natural," "free range" and "hormone free." It can be difficult for consumers to determine exactly what these terms mean and how they relate to meat quality.
Conditions
The primary difference between organic and nonorganic meat is the conditions under which the animal is raised. To qualify their livestock or poultry as organic, farmers must refrain from using animal byproducts as feed. Conventionally raised animals are often fed the rendered remains of horses, pigs, chicken and cattle. Animals that die of disease are sometimes ground into feed, spreading diseases to animals that eat this cheap protein source. Of particular concern is bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. Organic farmers are also not allowed to use growth hormones or to feed urea, manure or plastic pellets to their animals. Other farmers are not prohibited from doing so.
Processing
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, routinely inspects the feed mills and slaughterhouses of organic producers. Feed mills cannot allow contaminants such as rodenticides, insecticides, pesticides, antibiotics and hormones. To prevent cross-contamination, slaughterhouses must sterilize all equipment used on nonorganically raised animals before slaughtering organically raised animals.
Certification
To receive the USDA's official organic seal, a farmer must submit paperwork, pay fees and maintain thorough records of the origin of the livestock, feed quality and veterinary care. The site must undergo inspection, and a representative of the farm must participate in an interview.
Labeling
A product marked "organic" may contain up to 5 percent nonorganic ingredients. A label stating the product was made with organic ingredients may contain up to 30 percent nonorganic ingredients. Look for the label "100 percent organic" to ensure that no nonorganic products were used in the food. Only USDA-certified organic foods can display the official USDA Organic label.
Cost
Organic food costs more than nonorganic, which deters some people from buying organic meats. It costs farmers more to raise organic animals, and the USDA also requires fees to cover the cost of inspection for organic certification. Bloomberg Business Week determined that, on a cost versus benefits basis, it's worth the price for children and expectant mothers to consume organic foods. From conception through age 12, the brain and reproductive organs are particularly sensitive to the pesticides and other contaminants often found in nonorganic meats.
