Omega 3 in Beef - More or Less

Q: I saw something in the news the other week about organic meats having more nutritional benefits.  Do you sell organic beef?

A: You probably saw a story about a recent UK-based study that found organic meats to be 50% higher than conventional meats in omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega 3 provides many health benefits, providing protection against heart disease, arthritis, depression, asthma, ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease, and more.

What gives organic meats their Omega 3 boost?  An author of the study explained “It’s not something magical about organic.  It’s about what the animals are being fed.”  In other words, when organic beef is high in Omega 3, it’s because of the grass in the animals’ diet. 

You won’t often find much organic beef in stores; less than 1% of beef sold in the US is certified organic.  Many farmers have steered away from organic due to concerns about the certification process, which they see as expensive and cumbersome.  That process drives up the retail price. Locally we’ve seen organic beef selling at a $4 - $6 per pound premium over conventional beef.  We do not currently offer organic beef because we don’t’ feel it provides the best value to our customers.

For those seeking the nutritional benefits of omega 3 we recommend grass-fed beef. Studies have shown that it not only has up to 7 times the omega three of conventional beef, but is also higher in essential vitamins and lower in saturated fat.   

Grass fed beef is not subject to the same rigorous certification process as organic beef, and most of it is imported.  Our grass fed beef comes from regional farms that have supplied us for years.  Because we know and trust the farmers - and approve of their methods - we can offer high quality grass-fed product at a very competitive price... usually just 50 cents per pound more than our conventional beef.
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Click here for more information about our grass fed beef.