Organic products are widely available in many supermarkets and grocery stores. One of the largest categories of organic production is meat and dairy products. If you are considering organic meat and dairy, consider how they are produced, what their benefits are and how they stack up to conventionally produced products.
Production
Organic meat and dairy come from cows that are raised, fed and processed using methods that have been certified as organic. Organic cattle production avoids the use of antibiotics and growth hormones. Food for organic cattle is not treated with insecticides or pesticides. Cattle are also allowed access to the outdoors and their stalls are kept to a higher degree of cleanliness in order to help prevent sickness and disease.
Benefits
Studies have shown that conventionally raised meat and dairy products contain trace residues of growth hormones, antibiotics and other chemical additives. Strict regulations set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture require testing of all conventional meat and dairy products to ensure that trace residues are below human tolerance. However, organic meat and dairy do not contain any of these trace residues as a result of organic production techniques.
Health
There is no definitive research that shows that conventionally raised meat and dairy products are detrimental to a person's health. However, there is research that suggests that the tolerance levels for trace residues are lower in children and pregnant women, and so they are more susceptible to overconsumption of conventionally raised products. In terms of their respective caloric and nutritional value, organic and conventionally raised meat and dairy provide the same benefits.
Considerations
When choosing organic meat and dairy, only choose products that are labeled as either 100 percent organic or organic. Meat and dairy labeled simply as organic comes from 95 percent organic production, rather than 100 percent The National Organic Program is a regulatory agency operated by the USDA that monitors and certifies organic products. Products that are labeled as natural, free-range or hormone-free are not necessarily organic. Keep in mind that some very small farms and ranches are not regulated by the USDA and may advertise organic products.
