Return to Press Releases | Return to the Archive

For Release: February 20, 2004

Media Contact:
Maverick Ranch Natural Meats
Matt Barnes, Communications Manager
303-294-0146x113, 303-913-1703 (c)
mattbarnes@maverickranch.com

American Heart Association certifies Maverick Ranch natural chicken breast as ‘Heart Healthy’
Air-chilled, free range chicken offers consumers a choice in natural chicken

Denver – Maverick Ranch free-range, air-chilled chicken breasts have joined the ranks of the American Heart Association’s Food Certification Program. To qualify for this program a chicken cut must meet USDA Extra Lean guidelines, which are: Less than 5g of fat, less than 2g of saturated fat and less than 95mg cholesterol per reference amount and per 100g.

“Maverick Ranch was one of the early participants in this prestigious program,” said Charlie Moore, vice president of marketing and family owner of Maverick Ranch Natural Meats. “We feel that lean, natural meats are a great addition to any diet and know that consumers will be very satisfied with the taste and juiciness of this product.”

Consumers now have a better choice when looking for natural fresh chicken. Maverick Ranch’s air-chilled, free-range chicken is never given any antibiotics or growth stimulants, and has no added water during processing.

With air-chilled chicken, bacteria counts are up to 80 percent lower than those of water-chilled chickens. This extends shelf life and provides for a distinctly better flavor and texture because the natural juices, proteins and enzymes remain in the meat during cooking.

Our chickens are free to range outside in an all natural environment. The extra space given to free-range chicken while growing gives the chicken better texture. This allows our chickens to be raised in a stress free environment the way nature intended.

Our chickens are only fed a high quality diet of corn, soybeans, vitamins, and minerals with no animal fats or by-products. Their diet, along with tender loving care used in raising our chickens in a natural, free-range environment gives us the best tasting and highest quality chicken available.

Providing natural meat products free of antibiotics, steroids and pesticides since 1985, Maverick Ranch Natural Meats is a family-owned business based in Denver, Colo. The company provides natural beef, free-range, air-chilled chicken, buffalo, lamb, and pork to approximately 2,000 grocery retailers nationwide. In 2002, Maverick Ranch’s safety-assured ground beef won the Denver Business Journal’s Most Innovative Product in the edible category. Maverick Ranch features nine 96 percent lean beef and pork products that are certified in the American Heart Association Food Certification Program. In addition, Maverick Ranch is proud to be associated with the U.S. Olympic Committee, providing natural beef and pork to over 20,000 Olympic hopefuls training at three U.S. Olympic Training Centers. To learn more about Maverick Ranch, call 800-497-2624 or visit www.maverickranch.com.