What is “Natural” beef?
The USDA definition of Natural is “minimally processed, no artificial ingredients, USDA permits no preservatives in the product”. Greener Pastures Beef takes this a step further by using no antibiotics or added hormones in the production of our beef. The USDA permits these production claims, which refer to cattle management practices before harvesting.
To the U.S. Department of Agriculture, all raw beef is natural because it meets the department’s definition of “minimally processed”: without artificial ingredients or added color. In practice, most companies selling all-natural beef say they don’t give their cattle hormones or antibiotics, and don’t feed them animal byproducts–claims the USDA says must be documented. But even natural beef can be finished on a corn-and-soybean diet in a feedlot.
Meat product labeling that is allowable for natural beef varies in the U.S. because there are not yet formal standards for “natural” and the use of growth hormones can vary. The first four “natural” labels below indicate that hormones were never used; the last two indicate that growth hormones were administered at some point.
