Grassfed
-Cattle eat their natural diet of grasses
-No antibiotic
-No hormones
-Cattle roam open pasture to feed
-Cattle naturally take 1.5-2 years to mature
Grainfed
-Cattle eat 90% corn
10% other: forage, cheap high energy feeds like candy, starch, bakery waste, potato waste, pasta, chicken litter, meat processing waste
-Antibiotics: 29 million pounds were used on American livestock in 2009 for illness & growth promotion
-Hormones: Implants or injections are used to increase growth rate by 10-15
-Confined Feedlots: Restricting movement prevents cattle from using energy so that they fatten quicker
-1 year to maturity: The combination of high-energy foods, drugs and confinement turns cows into cheap meat in half the time
Meat Composition of grassfed cows is significantly healthier when analyzed for fat and nutrient content:
Grassfed:
2-4x more Omega 3
5x more CLA*
More vitamins
More minerals
Grainfed
4x more fat per 3oz serving
(via Slow Food USA)
