E. coli and Beef

July 30, 2008 by Evelyn Vincent

When a beef recall makes the news the first thing we're looking for is answers and reassurance. We want to make sure the beef we just bought at the super market isn't tainted with E. coli. What would you do if... there was beef that was tested before it left the processing plant and if there were a way to know ahead of time that the meat you were buying was truly wholesome???

First, we need to look at 'what' exactly makes beef nutritious and far less likely to be a source of E. coli...

You've heard, "you are what you eat" - right!? Well, let's take that a step further... if the meat you eat does not contain all the nutrition it should have it doesn't matter how lean a cut it is or how you prepare it... deficient meat, is deficient meat. And, an animal whose health is compromised due to lack of proper nutrition, is also more susceptible to a host of other problems, E. coli being just one!

CLA 
It's going to change the way America eats for the better! It's amazing what a difference diet really makes, for cattle and for us. When cattle eat right, beef is incredibly good for you! In fact, just as good, or better, for you than chicken!

Consider this... beef in the human diet has gotten very bad press, and deservingly so! Any meat that is raised in a feedlot is going to be extremely UN-HEALTHY. Cattle that has been out in the pasture eating grass its whole life is going to contain all the goodness and nutrition that its suppose to contain. From a nutritional point of view the difference between feedlot raised and grassfed cattle is as different as night and day. Personally, I do not feel that feedlot cattle should ever be allowed on the market because it is an extremely bad food and will cause health issues, even if it isn't tainted with E. coli.  

THE CLA ADVANTAGE

International scientific research is demonstrating positive results in:
• Combating Cancer
• Combating Arteriosclerosis (clogged arteries)
• Reducing Body Fat
• Delays the onset of Diabetes

Research conducted over the last decade has discovered a naturally occurring substance in beef, conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. Michael Pariza first discovered CLA at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in his anticancer research. In multiple research studies, CLA has been shown to both reduce the incidence of cancer and suppress the growth of existing cancers in laboratory animals.

Recent studies in Europe indicated that patients with higher levels of CLA in breast tissue had less tumor growth. Other animal studies have correlated CLA with decreasing body fat and increasing lean body mass. One study showed that humans receiving CLA had a significant decrease in body fat as compared to the placebo group. Yet other research has shown that CLA delays the onset of diabetes and aids the battle against arteriosclerosis (coronary artery disease).

Good Fats, Bad Fats and CLA

There are good fats, fats that contain essential nutrients for life and health. In the American diet, beef and milk fat are the best sources for CLA. But studies have also shown that the cattle's diet has a significant impact on the amount of CLA in the meat and dairy products. Not surprisingly, when cattle eat their natural diet, foraging pasture grasses and legumes, CLA levels are 30-40% higher. CLA levels drop dramatically in feed lots where cattle are fed grain and other byproduct feedstuff.

The first chamber of the bovine stomach sets the stage for fatty acid production. The pH 7 of the grazing animal contains the family of bacteria that produces high levels of omega 3 and CLA due to near base saturation. The beef animal consuming grain in the first chamber stomach has a very acidic pH. This set stage for a different bacteria family, that result in higher omega 6 production and lower omega 3 and CLA output. Free range grazing animals result in a win win for the environment and consumers alike.

Health food stores are beginning to sell CLA supplements, but studies suggest that naturally occurring CLA is metabolized and used differently than synthetic CLA. 

Shop for REAL beef at US Wellness Meats!

OMEGA 3s
Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid for human growth and development. We must have it to be healthy. Grass-finished beef is a great source for this essential nutrient. Research demonstrates that Omega 3 is great for individuals with heart disease, and other studies are showing that Omega 3 may also have an anti-carcinogenic effect. The source of Omega 3 is the green leaves of plants.

When cattle eat their natural diet, beef becomes a great source of Omega 3.

Grain is not a rich source of Omega 3, so standard, cattle-finishing practices cause the Omega 3 level to decrease dramatically.

REDUCED FAT
When cattle are raised and finished in their natural environment, a grass pasture, eating their natural diet, the meat is much leaner than the beef of standard, grain-finished livestock.

Grass-fed beef has a much better fatty acid ratio and less total fat than grain-fed animals!

The old myth that cattle must be grain-fed to be tender and tasty, but we now know better. Leaner grassfed cattle meats require you cook them at lower temperatures. This also produces a dish that you're more likely to find at a fine restaurant. You won't need to cook the daylights out of the grassfed beef from US Wellness.

Wait until you sink your teeth into the lean, clean flavor - my first bite years ago was like a flashback to my grandparents farm... when raw milk and fresh churned butter was in the cow a couple hours prior. The beef not only tastes different, BETTER, but it smells divine! You'll find that regular beef flavor has been replaced by a more robust beef flavor that you will love, AND as an added bonus, it's GREAT for you! The beef from US Wellness is an excellent red meat protein source that you can feel good about. I am totally sold... there is no way you'll ever get me to buy that junk in the stores which they call beef - it just won't happen!

TRUELY NATURAL, ADDITIVE-FREE BEEF
The folks at U.S. Wellness Meats eat what they sell! I highly doubt that those who raise their cattle in a feedlot eat that meat, why? Because if you knew what a poor product feedlot practices produced... you wouldn't eat it either! That stuff just isn't fit for consumption.

US Wellness Meats are absolutely committed to the highest standards of food quality and safety. No pesticides or herbicides are used on the pastures where their cattle graze. No preservatives or additives are in our products. No growth implants, no feed grade antibiotics or unnecessary antibiotics are given to the animals.

The animals are only given an antibiotic when necessitated for the treatment of illness - just like we do with humans. When this occurs the cattle at US Wellness must meet their required withdrawal time prior to processing, which is double that of the industry standard.

The cattle graze on a managed rotation, which provides them with consistently fresh forage. The US Wellness farm is committed to the humane treatment of their animals. Stress is avoided, and the animals are provided with fresh, clean water to drink while they graze in their natural environment.

US Wellness Meats are NOT Irradiated!!!

The meats are very carefully prepared for shipping in their processor's clean, safe, USDA-inspected facility. 

Grassfed Cattle and the risk of E. coli

In addition to the proven health benefits of grass-fed beef (thanks to increased Omega 3's and CLA), science has also proven grass-fed beef to have a lower risk of E.coli.

Grass-finished beef has a minimal risk compared to grain-fed beef due to the difference in gastric pH resulting from the two diets. Grain diets create a much higher level of acidity in the stomach, which the E.coli bacteria need to survive.

Forage-based animals maintain a pH near 7 in the digestive system, which severely retards the environment for E.coli O157:H7, leading to less risk to the consumer.

Each batch of beef produced by US Wellness Meats is tested for E.coli two times before packaging.

So many reasons WE feel good about enjoying grass-fed beef from US Wellness Meats!

Why I stopped buying meats at "Whole Foods"

I've found the meats at US Wellness Meats to be about the same price as the so-called 'organic' meats. In case you don't know... just because the label says 'organic' does NOT mean it's been pasture raised. As a matter of fact, the 'organic' labeled meats ARE raised in feedlots - they're feed organic soybeans and corn (two foods cattle should not be eating in any sort of quantity), plus, there's no guarantee those organic feeds are not GM. Sooo, that's what I stopped buying my meats at "Whole Foods" - it's a rip-off! 

Go shopping for healthy meats at US Wellness - I'll see you there!