Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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My wife got me to watch the documentary "Food, Inc" yesterday. Normally I have a pretty high tolerance for things, and it takes a lot to impact my appetite, but this movie is killing me. The parts about how easy / prevalent E. Coli and Salmonella contamination was bad, but when they got into the ammonia treated beef I swear I questioned if I could ever eat ground beef again.

Idiot’s bliss, and I’ve just been kicked out of Eden.

I know grass fed pretty much takes care of this issue, but where I live its pretty damn difficult to find GF foods. The closest we usually get is “Natural,” “Organic,” or “Vegetarian Fed” meats, all of which mean next to nothing as far as I can tell.

Please help me, PaleoHacks, is there ANY way to tell if ground beef contains the ammonia-treated sludge? Any brands who are worse about this than others? Know of any responsible meat/egg farms in the south/central Texas area?

flag	asked Jun 24 2011 at 13:59 TomInTexas 1,445●1●4●16

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read Good meat by Deborah Krasner, and know why it's so important to source from local sustainable properly raised animals – drawk Jun 24 2011 at 14:20

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Actually, if the label on the meat specifies organic/no antibiotics/no growth hormones that is very important. The major issues with bacterial contamination in meat is related to antibiotic use in the animals leading to antibiotic resistance and the growth of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Yes, it is possible for animals to still be in filthy conditions, gross overuse of antibiotics is a major. If it only says "natural" watch out. Means NOTHING. Additionally, cooking all the way through will protect. – Atkins-witha-loincloth Jun 24 2011 at 14:37

The bacteria isn't the part that scares me, as I know I can cook that out. But the chemicals they use to "process" the meats but don't have to report bother me a great deal. – TomInTexas Jun 24 2011 at 15:13

none · Answer 1 · 2011-06-24 14:06:30Z UTC

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http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html

Go to the eatwild site and look for producers in your area. Buying direct from a farm may be your best bet.

answered Jun 24 2011 at 14:06

none
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None close to Las Vegas. :( – Wil Jun 24 2011 at 15:38

miked · Answer 2 · 2011-06-24 16:07:02Z UTC

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The best thing is to not buy your meat in a big chain grocery store. I get most of my meat delivered from uswellnessmeats.com and then supplement with things from whole foods. I haven't been to a regular grocery store in months and when I do go it's just to stock up on things like juice.

edited Jun 24 2011 at 16:07

answered Jun 24 2011 at 14:04

miked
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I second the suggestion to check out uswellnessmeats.com. They are very reliable and the meat is really good. – Annemarie Jun 24 2011 at 18:32

Jules K · Answer 3 · 2011-06-24 14:23:05Z UTC

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I often order from vermontgrassfedbeef.com- they do beef, pork, goat, sometimes lamb. Ideally I'd buy local, but I like being able to buy individual cuts. Their prices are pretty good!

answered Jun 24 2011 at 14:23

Jules K
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	yes i LOVE them!! my husband is from VT so next time we go up we are going to stop by the farm. they have AWESOME prices! – being Jun 24 2011 at 14:27
	I wish they shipped to Texas :( – TomInTexas Jun 24 2011 at 14:31
	Tom, where in Texas are you? My brother is in the DFW area and has no problem sourcing grass-fed and pastured animals. – JansSushiBar Jun 24 2011 at 14:46
	Tom, I second JansSushiBar; where are you? I live in North DFW and I have several sources for gf local beef. – Ben Jun 24 2011 at 15:02
	San Antonio, a "norther state" away from DFW area – TomInTexas Jun 24 2011 at 15:10

show 1 more comment

Barb · Answer 4 · 2011-06-24 14:22:25Z UTC

That movie rocked us pretty hard as well but we were already aware of a lot of it and had already begun to limit factory farmed meat. What we found ourselves feeling at the end of the movie was motivation. It made us want to DO something. It also made us angry, which further motivated us. We decided right then and there that we would no longer consume ANY meat of which we didn't know and approve of the source and we would spread the word as much as we could. We would make an even bigger effort to supposrt family farms in our area. Try chatting up some vendors at your farmers market(get to know your farmer! :)), shop at a coop, seek out small town meat lockers. If you're still having a hard time with the ground beef, make your own. You can get hand crank meat grinders for somewhere around $30 I think, cheaper if you watcha t flea markets and yard sales.

being · Answer 5 · 2011-06-24 14:23:19Z UTC

i have not seen food inc yet, and i dont plan to. i sort of feel that after a couple of decades being interested and involved in animal rights, local agriculture and food politics, i know what i need to know already so i dont want to torture myself any more. as it is, knowing what i already know from michael pollan and matthew scully and others, i feel like a vegan when im in the grocery store. i cant buy it. it makes me want to gag. ill eat it at a restaurant if i swallow a big dose of cognitive dissonance first, but it takes effort for me to eat CAFO meat. im luky to be able to get meat shares from my small CSA, and i have friends who are farmers and hunters. we have a fish CSA here in my area, and i order beef from a farm about 70 miles away. its more expensive at the end of the year, and more effort, but im committed to the paleo way of eating, and equally committed to local agriculture and animal rights.

Thumper · Answer 6 · 2011-06-24 15:09:02Z UTC

Hey Tom! Don't be scared of meat! Knowledge is power - and now that you are more knowledgeable about your food you can make better choices!

ps. - good luck on all the research you are about to undertake on sourcing foods in your area - it can be a daunting task - but it can also be a lot of fun! I've met so many great farmers in my area - each has so many more good tips on other farmers and good sources of food in the area!

Fred B · Answer 7 · 2011-06-24 15:13:45Z UTC

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When I can't get/afford GF beef, I get Organic, hormone/antibiotic free stuff from Costco, and cook it in butter from grass fed cows (Kerrygold). That way I still get the good stuff from grass fed ruminants (CLA, Omega 3) and the meat is clean.

answered Jun 24 2011 at 15:13

Fred B
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	Per my understanding, "Organic" as a label is pretty uncontroled and fairly meaningless in most cases. Am I incorrect about this? – TomInTexas Jun 24 2011 at 15:16
	Here's a good article on selecting the "least bad" beef. marksdailyapple.com/meat-tips-tricks-hacks It does make a difference whether the meat is certified organic - that word does have meanings related to hormones and antibiotics. "Natural", however, means nothing. Good luck! – VandyGear03 Jun 24 2011 at 16:03
	@Tom +1 to what VandyGear said. I think the only thing reliable about "Natural" is it now prohibits HFCS. Other than that "Natural" means nothing. – Fred B Jun 24 2011 at 16:38

Jennifer · Answer 8 · 2011-06-24 15:19:36Z UTC

Precisely why I decided that cutting corners elsewhere (no cable/satellite tv, no fancy phones with killer data plans) was worth the grassfed/organic meats. I'm writing a paper about Food Inc. for ethics so I've seen it far too many times!

bobdavis · Answer 9 · 2011-06-24 16:06:33Z UTC

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Tom - you just need to head to the Pearl Brewery and hit up the local meat producers (Koch Ranch, for one) you'll find there. You should be able to find everything you need. Thunder Heart Bison is also there - http://www.thunderheartbison.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=12&Itemid=6

You could also spend a few bucks on a hunting license... my freezer's full of Hill Country Whitetail.

Best -

bob

answered Jun 24 2011 at 16:06

bobdavis
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	I second Thunder Heart Bison. Best liver and heart I have ever had. Also check local Farmers Markets, there are usually some GF Beef vendors there. – Corben Jun 24 2011 at 16:14
	Thanks for the heads up, I'll do that. How late does the farmer's market there stay open? I work saturdays until 5-ish, and was under the impression that the market there is saturdays only and closes earlier than I get out of work. – TomInTexas Jun 24 2011 at 16:28

texasleah · Answer 10 · 2011-06-24 17:48:33Z UTC

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Tom, try Slanker's Grass Fed Meats. They ship from Paris, Texas.

answered Jun 24 2011 at 17:48

texasleah
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JCB · Answer 11 · 2011-06-24 17:07:02Z UTC

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Meat Grinder

Go old school. ;p

We had one similar to this when I was a kid. The main problem with ground meat is what is on the outside surface that gets ground in and what other questionable parts get added by the processor. Buy inexpensive roasts, etc., and grind your own and you will solve most of the problem.

answered Jun 24 2011 at 17:07

JCB
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Alternately, you could get meat from a butcher shop that is a real butcher, like Granzin's in New Braunfels (just off 35 behind Blue Bonnet Ford). I take all my game there for processing - they do a fantastic job! – bobdavis Jun 25 2011 at 2:19

Saw Food, Inc Last Night, Now I’m Scared of Meat. Help

11 Answers