AERO KUFM Commentary Archives

AERO KUFM Commentary

March 2006

Fresh vs. Frozen Meat - Is that Really the Question?

by Karalee Bancroft & Caroline Ranch

As organic meats become more and more available, more and more people are asking for fresh, never frozen meats. And meat departments in grocery stores are attempting to fill the void. But as an organic consumer, you must be careful of what you wish for - you may wind up with a fresh product that is NOT what you really want. The question is not really "fresh vs. frozen". More often the question is fresh vs. organic, fresh vs. grassfed or pasture raised, or fresh vs. local. The more qualifiers you place on the product, the more difficult it will be to get it fresh.

Here in Montana our packing/distribution/shipping infrastructure is almost non-existent. Organic farmers (which are still few in numbers) must have their animals packed at a certified organic packing plant. Currently there are only four such plants in the whole state. This limits organic farmer accessibility to markets wanting fresh product because: it disrupts farmers' regular routines (animals must be moved to the packer at designated times to make all the connections necessary for delivering fresh meat); it disrupts packing plants' processing schedules (they must process fresh product within a specific time window); and it must be transported on a refrigerated truck within 24 hours of processing to the stores that will ultimately sell it. Only in very limited circumstances can all the connections be made within the time constraints of a fresh product. Most organic farmers are not in the lucky position of being near an organic packer, and also have access to refrigerated trucking that happens to be delivering from the packer to the store they want to sell to within 24 hours of butchering. The result is that most of the fresh product you find in your local health food store is from a farmer who happens to be able to make all those connections, but not necessarily an organic farmer. So, how important is "fresh" to you? Is it worth giving up an audited organic meat product which must meet a whole list of minimum standards for one that may be unaudited, unverified, and without any standards at all?

If you're one of the growing number of consumers who has come to realize the value of true grassfed meats and meats from animals raised on real pastures (NOT so-called "free range"), you also know that the pastures and grasses that make these meats so nutritional and beneficial are only available for a few months each year here in Montana. Once the fields dry and brown out, the nutritional components of the grasses that make grassfed animals so healthy for you are no longer in the grasses and, therefore, no longer in the animals that graze them. Irrigation systems can keep the grasses green a little longer, but there's still only about a 6-month window after which the omega-3's and CLA found in true grassfed beef diminishes because of a lack of green, growing grass forage. The meat is still delicious, but does not contain the high levels of omega-3's and CLA's most grassfed meat consumers are looking for. So, how important is "fresh" to you? Is it worth giving up the real benefits of grassfed and pastured meat production systems?

We Montanans really like the idea of being able to buy meats grown right here in Montana. We have wonderful, rich native grasses which are unparalleled in producing flavorful, nutrient rich meats. Montana beef commands quite a premium around the world and it's grown right here in our own back yard! But for the same reasons outlined in Fresh vs. Organic, above, when you insist on fresh, you may not be getting local. Grocers can get fresh meat deliveries from Sysco every day, and some of it is even organic. But it's extremely unlikely that any of the Sysco fresh meats delivered in Montana are actually from Montana. And you can be sure that if it's organic and coming off the Sysco truck, it originated in Argentina or Uruguay. So, how important is "fresh" to you? Is it worth giving up supporting local Montana farmers?

Many are flocking to organic grassfed beef these days because of the health benefits inherent in grassfed meats. But grassfed meats are naturally lower in fat than feedlot, grained meats. There's less marbling in the muscle tissue and less back fat. Back fat is important because it serves as a protective layer on the meat while it ages, keeping it from drying out; the less back fat, the shorter time it can age without drying out. This is especially critical for grassfed meats which could use more aging rather than less, because of less marbling in the muscle tissue. Interestingly, freezing actually helps break down the cell walls in the meat slightly making it more tender. So, how important is "fresh" to you? Is it worth giving up a chemical-free way of tenderizing that organic grassfed beef that you just paid a premium price for? Next time you see a push for "fresh" meats at your grocer, consider what you might be giving up to get it fresh. Ask yourself what's really important in the meat you're buying and you might find that "fresh" falls to the bottom of the list.

I’m Karolee Bancroft for the Alternative Energy Resources Organization. AERO welcomes your comments and perspectives. AERO is a grassroots membership organization working to help create farm, food, energy and growth solutions for communities throughout Montana. For more information about our programs call us in Helena at 406-443-7272.