Farm Flavor Guide to Meat Labels

Buying beef can be a daunting endeavor thanks to the array of labels making claims such as “Prime,” “grass-fed” and “organic.” While many of these claims are monitored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, others are not, making matters even more confusing for consumers. If you’re looking for some guidance, here’s a brief rundown of what some of the most common meat labels mean to help you prepare for your next grocery store run.

Guide to Meat Quality Labels

Anyone who has purchased beef is likely familiar with labels such as “Prime,” “Choice” and “Select.” But what do these actually mean? These types of labels are related to the quality of the meat and are managed by the USDA’s Agriculture Marketing Service. According to the agency, beef is evaluated by USDA meat graders, who use a subjective assessment process and special electric instruments to measure meat characteristics. In addition to grading for quality (think tenderness, juiciness and flavor), they also examine the amount of usable lean meat.

See more: Guide to Common Cuts of Beef

1. Prime Beef

According to the USDA, Prime beef is sourced from “young, well-fed beef cattle.” This results in abundant marbling (those white flecks of fat that run through the muscle tissue of the beef). This intramuscular fat liquifies when heated, providing a self-basting effect and giving the meat a velvety texture and savory flavor. Prime roasts are particularly suitable for broiling, roasting and grilling. Certain cattle breeds, such as Japanese wagyu, naturally produce more intensely marbled beef. However, research has shown that the best tool for increasing marbling is to finish cattle on a highly digestible grain-based diet. This helps support high blood glucose levels, promoting fat accumulation. According to a number of sources across the web, only about 2% to 5% of beef is graded as Prime and it is usually found in high-end restaurants and butcher shops. However, Prime beef is now sold at certain supermarkets like Costco.

2. Choice Beef

Choice beef, on the other hand, is a high-quality option with less marbling than Prime. The USDA calls Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib “very tender, juicy and flavorful.” Like Prime beef, Choice beef is well suited for dry-heat cooking such as broiling, roasting and grilling. Less tender cuts are also great for slow-cooking. About 50% of all beef is graded Choice.

3. Select Beef

Next in line is Select beef, which is uniform in quality and normally leaner than Choice and Prime. Though it is fairly tender, it has less marbling than the higher grades and may lose some juiciness and flavor points because of that. Tender cuts can be cooked with dry heat while other cuts should be marinated or braised first. 

4. Other Grades

The remaining grades include Standard and Commercial, usually sold as store-brand or ungraded meat; utility, which are carcasses that don’t meet the minimum requirements for standards; and cutter and canner, which are rarely sold in retail but are used to make ground beef and processed foods.

Controversy on Quality Labeling

While Prime beef is considered the most exclusive of the eight USDA beef grades, it’s important to note that some contend that marbling is not the single most important factor when measuring beef quality. They assert that not all Prime is created equal, and in some cases, consumers might actually walk away with better beef by buying lower-graded cuts like Choice. For instance, some prefer the taste of grass-fed beef (we’ll get into what that means a bit later), even though it tends to have far less marbling than grain-fed beef. Some also argue that certain breeds produce better-tasting meat without marbling.

See more: Label Lingo: How to Decipher Commonly Used Phrases on Food Labels

Guide to Meat Production Labels

The next group of labels you may encounter — including “organic,” “grass-fed,” “free-range” and “natural” – have more to do with how farmers raised the animal and what kinds of foods it ate. The USDA monitors some of these labels, but not all.

1. Certified Organic

In order to display the Certified Organic beef label, producers cannot administer any antibiotics or growth-promoting hormones to their cattle. These cattle can be either grass-finished or grain-finished, as long as the AMS certifies the feed as 100% organically grown. The animals must also be permitted to roam freely in pastures.

Advocates of certified organic beef contend that it is higher in omega-3 fatty acids, has more vitamins and minerals, is better for soil and water quality, and improves animal welfare. Others say it tastes better than conventional meat, although taste is arbitrary.

2. Grass-Fed and Grass-Finished

Most cattle munch on grass for the majority of their lives, but a “grass-fed” label ensures that the animal was raised primarily on grasses and forages like hay. Proponents of grass-fed beef say it contains more omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals than grain-fed beef. Meanwhile, “grass-finished” means that the cattle may have been fed grain during the growing phase and then finished on grass.

Keep in mind that these labels only pertain to the animal’s diet and have nothing to do with whether it received hormones or antibiotics. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service oversees the “grass fed” label, and companies using this label must provide documentation to support their claim. However, the USDA does not certify grass-fed beef, so many farms go uninspected. You can look for additional third-party certifications from organizations like the American Grassfed Association or Global Animal Partnership.

3. Natural and Naturally Raised

According to the USDA, all fresh meat qualifies as natural. However, the agency also states that the term “natural” on a meat label refers to a product that does not contain any artificial flavors, colorings, chemical preservatives or other synthetic ingredients. The product and its ingredients must also be minimally processed and the label must include a statement explaining the meaning of the term such as “no artificial ingredients” or “minimally processed.”

Meanwhile, the “naturally raised” label is no longer USDA regulated, meaning producers can use it voluntarily but it is not strictly defined or enforced. Traditionally, naturally raised has meant that the animals were raised without antibiotics, growth hormones or animal byproducts.

4. Free Range

Free-range beef just means that the cattle were never confined to a feedlot and were able to range freely throughout their lives. The USDA monitors this label, and producers must send the agency a written description of the housing conditions to ensure their claims.