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Does anyone know if UK supermarket chain Asda (WallMart) organic beef is solely pastured?

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I'd love to know the same for other UK chains, and if there is some agency/policy that governs them. In my area there is Lidl, Sainsburys, Waitrose, Tesco and all the Halal shops. – sean Nov 1 2010 at 21:19
+1 on Lidl. Indeed. – Ikco Nov 2 2010 at 7:49

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In the UK organically farmed rumminants (cows and sheep) have to be fed a minimum of 60% fodder, roughage or silage and a maximum of 40% concentrate feed.

Concentrate feed covers a whole range of different food sources. Animals are grazed for as long as the growing season allows, grass does not grow during the colder months in the UK. Silage is fed in the winter.

Some definitions:

Fodder: coarse food composed of entire plants, or the leaves and stalks of a cereal crop.

Roughage: food that is high in fibre such as hay, corn and straw.

Silage: livestock feed which is harvested and preserved for winter feeding by partial fermentation.

Source from here.

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Do you have links/documents with this information? – sean Nov 2 2010 at 15:15
I added a link :) – Matt Nov 2 2010 at 16:20
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I actually asked a similar question in a store once. The store manager had no idea and didn't know how he could find out! I can't help but think that, given they're cheap and cheerful ethos, it's probably not.

Waitrose is, in my opinion, head and shoulders above the other supermarkets in terms of meat quality and provenance.

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I don't think there is a Waitrose anywhere near me (I'm in Stoke-on-Trent); but in what sense are they better? Cheers – Paleo_BLaZeDRas Jul 4 2011 at 18:22
Their meat and dairy are very high quality. Grass fed, and organic. Waitrose is generally in the South, so not surprising you don't have one near you – CT Jul 4 2011 at 19:07
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Unless it says so, my guess would be no.

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That's mostly true in the US, but I wouldn't agree for the UK. UK Labelling sucks, but the 'conventional' production practices are better than the US. For example, most butter is pastured and you don't see big claims about that. I can go to any shop and get the equivalent or better than Kerry Gold. – sean Nov 1 2010 at 21:25
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I don't buy meat from a supermarket precisely because I don't know the answer to the question. I'm pretty sure, though, that lamb would be OK.

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thats good to know... I eat mostly lamb myself when making my burgers :) – Paleo_BLaZeDRas Jul 4 2011 at 18:23
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I used to work for an abattoir, now the biggest producer of pork for British supermarkets like Sainsbury, Cranswick Country Foods nr Hull, and in my experience when they didnt have enough organic meat to fill an order the line leaders would tell us to just pack the non-organic meat instead as nobody would tell the difference and it makes their life easier. So I'd stay well clear of supermarket meat.

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