Nutritional Benefits from Fatty Acids in Organic and Grass-Fed Beef

Abstract

Livestock production is under increasing scrutiny as a component of the food supply chain with a large impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Amidst growing calls to reduce industrial ruminant production, there is room to consider differences in meat quality and nutritional benefits of organic and/or pasture-based management systems. Access to forage, whether fresh or conserved, is a key influencing factor for meat fatty acid profile, and there is increasing evidence that pasture access is particularly beneficial for meat’s nutritional quality. These composition differences ultimately impact nutrient supply to consumers of conventional, organic and grass-fed meat. For this review, predicted fatty acid supply from three consumption scenarios were modelled: i. average UK population National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) (<128 g/week) red meat consumption, ii. red meat consumption suggested by the UK National Health Service (NHS) (<490 g/week) and iii. red meat consumption suggested by the Eat Lancet Report (<98 g/week). The results indicate average consumers would receive more of the beneficial fatty acids for human health (especially the essential omega-3, alpha-linolenic acid) from pasture-fed beef, produced either organically or conventionally.

Comparison of Lipid Properties and Cadmium and Lead Content in Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) Meat from Three Feeding Grounds

“…It is commonly believed that ruminant meat is rich in SFAs [ 52 , 56 ], which was not confirmed in the present study. SFAs accounted for less than 45 and 47% of all FAs present in the muscles of the red deer from the analyzed feeding grounds, and the consumption of a 200-g portion of fresh meat was found to provide 0.94–1.45 g of SFAs, constituting only 2.14–3.26% of the recommended intake.…”

“…The amount and nutritional value of lipids in meat are important for human nutrition, as they determine the choice and quantity of the product to be consumed, especially given the strong contemporary shift towards the health-enhancing function of food. Due to the focus on health and the concerns about meat safety, consumers are increasingly searching for organic products [ 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 ] produced in compliance with the principles of natural nutrition, a high level of animal welfare and traceability, and ethical rules of animal breeding [ 3 , 36 , 37 , 52 ]. The beneficial impact of organic breeding systems on the nutritional value of meat lipids has been proven in studies on beef [ 4 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ], lamb [ 58 ], fallow deer [ 47 ], rabbits [ 59 ], and broiler chickens [ 60 ].…”

“…In addition to the fat content, the fatty acid composition is one of the most important determinants of the quality and pro-health value of meat [ 1 , 10 , 52 , 61 , 65 ]. In ruminants, it is a result of lipid lipogenesis in the adipose tissue, followed by biohydrogenation in the rumen [ 33 , 61 ].…”

“…In the present study, the CLA content in the LL and SM muscles of red deer from the organic farm was approximately 1.69 and 1.92 g/100 g, respectively; it was considerably greater than in meat from the conventionally fed animals, probably due to the ground being characterized by poorer plant species cover. Higher levels of rumen acid in organically farmed animals may increase the value of their meat and products due to its role in the prevention and even treatment of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, and some cancers [ 13 , 19 , 52 ]. A substantially lower concentration of CLA than that in the present study was found in the meat of cattle fed with concentrate and grass, i.e., 5.6 and 6.7 mg/100 g, respectively [ 83 ].…”

Towards Sustainable Sources of Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Northern Australian Tropical Crossbred Beef Steers through Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Lipogenic Genes for Meat Eating Quality

“…Studies suggest that dietary supplementation [5,6], nutritional alteration [7], and selective breeding [8] are management tools for manipulating meat fatty acid composition and beef quality. The nutritional composition of the diet is known to influence meat fatty acid composition and has been a subject of many literature reviews [9][10][11][12][13][14][15]. However, dietary manipulation of meat quality and fatty acid profile is challenging in ruminants due to rumen microbial lipolysis [16,17] and biohydrogenation of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids [18].…”