WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

The natural and organic food industries have grown significantly in the past decade, driven by health-conscious consumers who want to know exactly what they're eating. Many supermarkets now have entire sections devoted to products bearing "natural" and/or "organic" labeling, but there remains some confusion as to the true (USDA) definitions of these claims. We hope this page helps.

NATURAL

   The USDA's definition of the word "natural" must appear in some form on the packaging of products making this claim. It is as follows:

   "Minimally processed. No artificial ingredients. USDA permits no preservatives in this product."

   This definition allows virtually any pure protein to be labeled as "natural." While it precludes the addition of chemicals or additives after the animal has been harvested, it does not make reference to raising practices during the life of the animal, such as what the animal was fed or whether antibiotics or pesticides were ever administered.

   At Maverick Ranch, we take our commitment to producing safe and healthy natural meats very seriously. So OUR definition of "natural" goes much deeper than that of the USDA. Our natural meats come from animals which are raised on a 100% vegetarian diet and are never, EVER fed animal byproducts of any kind. No antibiotics are administered to animals in our program. No steroids are ever added. Just look around this web site for more examples of our dedication to producing truly natural meats.

ORGANIC

   In contrast to "natural" labeling standards, the USDA stringently regulates every aspect of animal raising and harvesting for meat products making the "organic" claim. Among other things, antibiotics and added growth hormones (steroids) are prohibited, and animal byproducts are not allowed in feed - which must itself have been grown organically. Since under 2% of the nation's crops are grown organically, this makes organic meat and poultry expensive and sometimes hard to find.

  Thanks to consumer demand, Maverick Ranch has been marketing organic beef for over five years. But we are very proud to be able to say that Maverick Ranch Natural Meats, though not bearing the USDA Certified Organic seal, nonetheless meet or exceed most of the major standards for organic certification. In addition, as a founding member of the Beef Safety Coalition, we have over 50 Food Safety procedures in place.

  Below is a chart showing just how our flagship product, Maverick Ranch NaturaLite Beef, measures up against USDA Certified Organic Beef.

Must be USDA Inspected (Animal Health).	Must be USDA Inspected (Animal Health).
Must be USDA Quality Graded (Select).	USDA Quality Grading is not required.
Can never be fed animal byproducts or proteins (since company began in 1985).	Can never fed animal byproducts or proteins (since 1997 USDA Feed Ban and 2002 Organic Standards Act).
100% Vegetarian Fed: Natural pasture grass, hay, and whole grains. No GMO feeds are allowed.	100% Vegetarian Fed: Natural pasture grass, hay, and Certified Organic whole grains. No synthetic fertilizers or GMO feeds.
SANOVA Food Safety Rinse: Beef Carcass and grinds are washed with a USDA-Certified Organic citris rinse. Made from organically grown oranges, SANOVA safely eliminates 99% of pathogenic bacteria including e.Coli, Listeria and Salmonella.	Not required for Organic labeling.
First-hand rancher audits performed by Maverick Ranch and/or Guarantek Analytical Labs personnel.	Ranchers audits performed by a paid third party Organic Certification company, subject to USDA review.
100%Beef Cattle Only.	Usually beef cattle, but can also include dairy breeds.
No residue from antibiotics, steroids (growth hormones), or pesticides have been detected in the beef. Analyzed and guaranteed by Guarantek Analytical Laboratories.	No antibiotics or growth hormones permitted during raising. Nonpersistent and botanical pesticides are allowed. Laboratory tests are not required.
All NaturaLite ground beef is made exclusively from whole muscle primals of round, chuck, or sirloin. NO trimmings or other miscellaneous body parts are permitted.	Can be made from nearly any part of the animal.

FOOD SAFETY

  As part of our dedication to food safety, Maverick Ranch Natural Meats has imposed eight distinct processing firewalls to specifically guard against Mad Cow Disease according to the guidelines set by the Beef Safety Coalition in 1998. As you can see from the chart below, these measures exceed those required by the USDA for Organic certification.

1. No bone meal, meat byproducts, or animal byproducts fed to the animals, ever.	1. Same.
2. Cattle are euthanized by a method which eliminates brain penetration.	2. Not required.
3. Spinal cords are fully removed at harvest.	3. Same
4. No advanced meat recovery methods (chemical or mechanical) are used.	4. Not required
5. No finely-textured deboned beef is used.	5. Not required
6. Only whole muscle primals of round, chuck,or sirloin are used.No trimmings of any kind are allowed.	6. Not required (Trimmings are used by the leading organic supplier).
7. Product traceability provided by bar codes on each box with a paper trail.	7. Same
8. Only U.S.born and raised beef cattle 15-18 months in age are accepted. Mad Cow disease is only found in cattle 30 months in age or older.	8. Certified Organic Beef is not limited by age or country of origin.