Why You Can Ignore 'Farm-Raised' On Meat Packaging

These days, buying meat from a grocery store can be a whole process. It's no longer enough to simply know the specific cut and grade of meat that you want. When you look at the labels on packaged meat in the supermarket, you may see a whole slew of other terms from "grass-fed" and "grass-finished" to "all-natural" and "free-run." One such term you should ignore, according to Jon Urbana, founder of KOW Steaks and a sixth generation cattle farmer, is "farm-raised."

Although the term may conjure up images of happy cows living their best lives on a small, bucolic farm somewhere on the countryside, the reality may be quite different. As Urbana explains, "Unfortunately, 'farm raised' can mean almost anything — it's not a regulated term. One brand might be talking about a small family farm, while another is referencing a massive industrial operation." By definition, a factory farm (concentrated animal feeding operation or CAFO) is still technically a farm, though large CAFOs can confine more than 1,000 cattle raised for meat. The reality is that the term "farm-raised" is nothing more than a marketing ploy.

According to Urbana, "it's important to look beyond the label and understand who you're really buying from." Some labels list the farm name on the packaging; look for local farms or co-ops that are more likely to pasture-raise and grass-feed their animals. If there is an on-site butcher or a meat counter at the market, try asking them where the meat comes from, which happens to be the most important steak question to ask butchers, according to actual butchers.

Otherwise, there are other terms to look out for on the grocery store beef labels, including:"100% grass-fed," which means that the cattle have only been fed their natural diet of grass, "pasture-raised," which means that the cattle are kept in a pasture rather than a feedlot,"USDA organic," which means no hormones or antibiotics were used and cattle have some access to pasture during grazing season, and "free-range," which means the animals were given free and continuous access to the outdoors for more than half their life. Also look for third-party certifications such as the Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) certification by A Greener World (AGW), which gives certifications to independent farmers for cattle raised on pasture and range land for their entire life, or Certified Humane, which requires that cattle have access to the outdoors, along with requirements that relate to their safety and well-being. For additional ideas, you can also refer to our list of tips for buying ethical meat at the grocery store.