Fresh vs Frozen – which is better?
The key to quality is not whether the protein is fresh or frozen... the key is WHEN and HOW it was frozen. The details….
The older food gets, the more nutrition it loses. But frozen food can have more nutrition if it's frozen quickly and efficiently because it decays more slowly. Fresh food that's been kept longer will have less nutrition than frozen. This applies to fruit just like it applies to beef or fish. The texture of most proteins will only change noticeably if the product isn’t frozen properly. When handled correctly, frozen meat is just as good, if not better, than fresh beef.
Our meat is cut, vacuum sealed and then frozen at a very low temperature very fast to ensure that it is as fresh as possible when it’s put into the freezer. This freezing process not only locks in nutrients and freshness but also helps to tenderize the meat.
Source: Purvis, K. (2014, May). Is fresh meat better than frozen? Charlotte Observer.
Is Wagyu really healthier?
Studies at Texas A&M University, Penn State University and Washington State University have shown that Wagyu beef contains the highest percentage of mono-unsaturated fats and higher concentrations of conjugated linoleic acids (omega-3 and omega-6) than any other beef in the country (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2011). Dr. Sally Lloyd, PhD, and Research Director for the 2011 study stated that, “these mono-unsaturated fats melt at room temperature, 5 degrees lower than the average for normal beef. This makes Wagyu beef suitable as part of a lower-cholesterol diet.” These characteristics have been shown to have positive effects on cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and is known to aid in protection against heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and high blood pressure.
Steve Smith, PhD from Texas A&M says, “Everything we’ve done so far tells us that Wagyu beef is better for you than the typical beef you can buy in the supermarket. We have not yet had any negative effects of Wagyu beef on plasma cholesterol, LDL particle diameters, blood glucose, triglycerides, or body weight.” (Taken from Beef Plus by Wes Ishmael; Smith et al, JAS, 207, Vol. 87).
Sources: Washington State University; Texas A&M University; Penn State University; Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Is Regenerative Agriculture really better for the planet?
The regenerative agriculture movement address the climate crisis with practices that sequester more carbon in the soil and help make ranchlands more resilient. Through photosynthesis and healthy soil microbes, healthy grassland ecosystems remove carbon from the atmosphere and store it in soil (where it belongs!). When plants photosynthesize, they take carbon dioxide from the air and – using the sun’s energy, water, and nutrients from the soil – transform it into carbon the plant uses to grow leaves, stems, and roots. The excess carbon created through this process is transported down the plant and is stored in the surrounding soil, sequestering the carbon in the ground. This carbon in the soil is known as soil organic carbon and it feeds microbes and fungi, which in turn provide nutrients for the plant. Soil organic carbon is the main component of soil organic matter, providing more structure to the soil and allowing it to store more water. Carbon can remain stored in soils for thousands of years – or it can be quickly released back into the atmosphere through farm practices like plowing and tillage, where soil is prepared for planting by mechanical agitation methods such as digging, stirring, and overturning. With proper care, soil can draw down 250 million metric tons on carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gasses every year. In order to maximize the carbon sequestering capacity of these thriving grasslands, the symbiotic presence of grazing animals in required. As a result, when we manage ranch and farmland in nature’s image, cows and other ruminant animals have the ability to enrich a system that reverses climate change.
For ranchers, regenerative agriculture is thus a win-win – it’s an approach that leads to better, more resilient soil and healthier animals and food using sustainable methods that at the same time fight an environmental crisis that presents a threat to all agriculture.
In the end, Modern Farmer sums it up best: “This is how land should be taken care of and animals should be grown – with benefits for the environment and the consumer.”
It’s just that simple.
Source: Teal, N., Burkart, K., & Earth, O. (2022). Regenerative Agriculture can play a key role in combating climate change.
