Did you know that most of the beef that you get in Singapore’s supermarkets are “grass-fed beef” and “grain-fed beef”? The current standards for these labels are usually vague, and there are different regulatory rules depending on where the beef was imported from.

For paw-rents who feed their pups the BARF diet or even the Prey Model diet, beef will be an essential meat protein for their dogs. Knowing what goes into the cow’s diet will help you to know what really goes into your pet’s nutrition. After all, it is now the age of “you are what your food eats”.

At BELLY UP, we are foodies too! (both two-legged and four-legged) We have seen the challenges that pet parents face in Singapore when food producers hide information behind their mythical food labels; and we are here to help you demystify more food myths for you and your fur-kids!

What is the difference between grass-fed, grain-fed, and grass-finished beef?

Grass-finished - Premium Beef for Pets

Most of the beef that you get from farm to table are grass-fed at some stage in their lives. Most calves, once born, are raised on their mother’s milk for about six months before moving on to grazing on grass for about eight months to one year.

Moreover, to qualify as grass-finished beef, cattle need to be on a fully-green diet for their whole lives. Due to seasonal changes, most cattle worldwide are unable to be fed a grass-only or green-only diet, so they are gradually supplemented by grains in their diet. Therefore, grass-finished beef is rare to come by.

There are significant nutritional benefits to grass-finished beef for dogs and cats. Grass-finished cattle have a higher antioxidant content, as well as a more favourable omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid profile, compared to grain-fed and grass-fed cattle. Grass-finished cattle also have a lower fat percentage too, which helps with weight control and fat intake for your pets.

Grass-fed - Good Quality Beef for Pets

For grass-fed cattle, a calf is weaned off their mother’s milk at about six to eight months, and they will either be left to graze on pasture. The grass-only diet may not be sufficient for the cows due to seasonal changes, so it is often supplemented with other green forage such as hay.

Both grass-fed and grass-finished beef are about 20% lower in calories than grain-finished beef and has higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, CLA’s (Conjugated Linoleic Acid — an essential fatty acid that fights cancer and inhibits body fat), and Vitamins A and E.

However, many of these grass-fed cows are grain-finished, which means that they started on a grass-based diet, but had to be fattened up towards the end of their lifespan with grains such as corn, barley, wheat, and sorghum.

Grass-fed & grain-finished beef may be a delicacy for humans, but it may not be nutritionally beneficial for both humans and pets alike. To force cattle to feed on grain, farmers usually put their cows into cattle feedlots that enforce grain-feeding. It is also at these stages where cows fatten up quickly due to stress and the lack of space to move around.

Grain-fed - Questionable Quality, Not Suitable for Pets

For Australian cattle to be considered grain-fed, they will need to be on a grain-based diet for at least 60 days. However, this may not be the same standard globally. American cows, for example, are often put into grain feedlots once they have weaned off their mother’s milk.

Grain-feeding is also a more cost-efficient way to fatten up the cow and to develop a buttery flavour in the beef. It is very common to pack cows into cattle feedlots where they are confined in very small spaces due to space constraints. This puts the cattle into stressful situations, which also results in elevated cortisol levels. When cortisol levels are elevated, the cow’s bodies are more likely to store fat as a protective mechanism.

It is also important that the cattle are raised with sustainable farming practices. This includes raising them on large pastures that allows the cows to graze and move around the fields (exercise!). Growth hormones along with antibiotics are commonly used in grain-fed cattle farming as confined feedlots often promote the spread of diseases. We would never want any nasties going into our diet, much less our pet’s diets!

It is not to say that grain-fed beef does not have any nutritional value; it still contains essential nutrients such as protein for your dogs and cats. However, grain-fed beef contains 4 times more saturated fat and a poor omega-6 to omega-3 ratio which will encourage inflammation and risk of various diseases in your pets.

How do we raise our cattle?

All our cattle are fed on pastures and supplemented with green forage and/or grain, certified by Australian authorities (Safe Food Australia) and American authorities (United States Department of Agriculture) for food safety. This means that they are safe for human consumption (and fur-kids too!). Most of our American products are grass-finished, which is a healthy nutrient-boost compared to our grass-fed beef products from down south.

We are committed to building a supply chain that is sustainable and ethical. Therefore, none of the cattle we procure have ever been put into grain feedlots. All of the farmers that we work with have committed to ethical farming practices, which includes pasture-raising, and a zero-tolerance policy on use of antibiotics and growth hormones.

We provide only the best quality beef pet treats in the pet food market.

Just beef. No nasties.

Try BELLY UP’s Beef Treats today!

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xo
Nellie