Feed determines fatty acid profile of beef

What a cow eats plays a major role in the nutritional value of its meat. That’s the outcome of new research from Michigan State University (MSU), where scientists have been working on a method to more accurately identify grass-finished beef.

Not all beef marketed as ‘grass-finished’ is equally nutritious. Professor Jenifer Fenton and her colleague Jason Rowntree studied the fatty acid composition of meat from cattle that were fed various supplements alongside grass—such as hay, silage, or soybean hulls. The differences were significant: while an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 2-to-1 is considered ideal, some samples showed ratios as high as 28-to-1.

“How you feed the animal can dramatically affect the fatty acid profile,” says Fenton. For example, beef from cows fed a high proportion of corn and soy tends to contain more omega-6—similar to farmed salmon.

Hay comes out on top

The researchers were often able to predict what the animals had been fed with a high degree of accuracy. In the case of beef from hay-fed cattle, they were spot on every time. In the study, hay was described as the “gold standard” when it comes to supplementing grass.

Healthy soil, healthier beef

According to Rowntree, it’s time to take a broader perspective. “Our premise is that healthy soil leads to healthy plants, animals and people.” Secondary plant compounds—such as antioxidants—can also make their way from pasture to plate. The research continues, now focusing on other types of feed, including distillers grains.

Canr.msu.edu