Snake

Grass-fed beef is often marketed with the claim that it is a healthier choice for the consumer, the animal, and the ecosystem. While this claim often holds true, it is an oversimplification. The nutritional quality of beef is most influenced by the botanical diversity of the cattle's diet. In practical terms, this means that cattle raised on pasture, grazing a wide variety of grasses, forbs, and shrubs, are likely to produce the highest quality beef. The diet of the cattle is reflected in the phytochemical richness of their milk and meat, as well as a more desirable fatty acid profile. However, the grass-fed label does not necessarily mean that the cattle were raised on pasture, consuming a diversity of plants. A product can be labeled as grass-fed if the cattle were simply fed grass pellets in a feedlot-style production model, or if they were grazing on monoculture grasses. This type of production, even though it is labeled as grass-fed, does not result in the same phytochemical richness or favorable fatty acid profiles as the diverse pasture system does. The grass pellet or monoculture grass system will produce meat and milk similar in nutritional quality to those of a grain-fed system. The grass-fed label has the potential to indicate a nutritionally superior product, but it leaves too much room for ambiguity. The nutritional quality of meat and milk should be defined with greater clarity and rigor.