I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend! If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the really cool giveaway I am hosting right now with Actual Organics (just two days left!). They are giving out a sampler pack of organic perfumes and I am very excited about this product. I will hopefully be sharing some Valentine worthy recipes soon. But before I get to that, I realized that I needed to address an issue that got brought up about one of our sponsors, US Wellness Meats.
Some of you know US Wellness Meats (they were also one of the sponsors for the Wise Tradition’s conference and they served some of their delectable meats at the conference). This small time company sells meat from family run farms (you can read about the farms here).We love them for their commitment to raising high quality grass fed meats and that’s why we have them as our sponsors. We also have found them to be delightful people.
Because of their unusual high standards with hard to find products (like delicious grass fed liverwurst, salami and summer sausage and pastured chicken livers for example), we have been thrilled to be working with them. Recently another blogger with a severe allergy to corn reacted to meatballs she made using their ground beef among other ingredients ( although she had not reacted to some other cuts of meat she had from them). She then contacted John Wood who runs the company to ask about any corn derived additives to the meat. John was surprised to hear that someone would have a reaction to their meat because they actually sell to a lot of high allergy people, but he (being the great guy that he is) started working on tracking down any possible point that anything corn derived could have touched the meat. He told her that it may have been lactic acid, most often corn derived, which was USDA required to use to spray on the carcass when it was first butchered (the part that is sprayed is cut off when they break the animal down into smaller pieces). This blogger then posted comments on several of our blogs (including mine) and posted on her own blog about how “US Wellness Meats are contaminated” with GMO corn because of the lactic acid spray.
After much research (thanks to Ann Marie from cheeseslave.com), we feel that we have adequate information to address this issue.
Ann Marie reported about her findings here and I will add my own thought in this blog post. First, here’s what Ann Marie found out.
“I spent the better part of that day calling around, talking to grass farmers, butchers and meat processors. I also spoke with Mark Kastel at the organic watchdog group, The Cornucopia Institute; Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, founder of The Institute for Responsible Technology, and global expert on GMOs; Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions.
Here’s what I found out.
Report from US Wellness Meats
I contacted US Wellness Meats first to find out what they had to say. Farmer John Wood told me that he had spoken to his processor and while it’s true, they do use a lactic acid spray in the processing of the beef, they do not believe that it is harmful in any way. John explained to me that the fermentation that occurs is the act of living fermentation bacteria acting like a factory using corn sugar as a fuel to produce lactic acid. This is the same product humans produce every day in our muscles.
John spoke to a few different people at PURAC, the company that manufactures the lactic acid spray (the specific product is called FCC88). I also called Purac myself. The people John and I talked to stated that while they do use a percentage of Midwest corn to make the lactic acid (which is derived from the sugar from the corn), they have have labeled the lactic acid spray “GMO non-detectable”. They said this means there is no detectable GMO DNA in the lactic acid product.
PURAC FCC88 is approved for organic cattle. The people at PURAC also said that the GM proteins cannot survive the process of lactic fermentation. I was not able to verify this. PURAC also sent a letter stating that there is no GMO DNA present in the lactic acid product, FCC88. Click here to download the letter.”
In a nutshell, Purac which was approved to use with organic products (and I’ve seen lactic acid in a lot of other organic products on the shelves), is derived from corn. They do get a percentage of their corn from the Midwest and we can assume that some of that corn is genetically modified. However, after the lactic fermentation, none of the DNA from the GMO’s are present. Ann Marie was able to contact Jeffery Smith who is a leading expert on GMO’s to find out what his opinion on this product (read about it on Ann Marie’s post).
Let me give you six thoughts here:
1) First, no, I don’t think it’s ideal to be supporting any GMO crops even a tiny bit. I wish that there were better products and different regulations by the USDA on the butchering process. This isn’t US Wellness’s fault and we need to place the blame on the regulations and crops we as a country have allowed. We then need to work effectively politically to change this. I think that the unfortunate insinuations made by some that we need to effectively boycott US Wellness Meats is taking this fight in the totally wrong direction. There are excellent ways to fight GMO’s and I do urge you to follow through with them if this is important to you (which I hope it is). Here are some instrumental organizations to join to help in this important battle.
Weston A Price Foundation: http://www.westonaprice.org/Become-a-member.html
Institute for Responsible Technology (fighting GMOs): http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Donate/index.cfm
Cornucopia Institute: https://app.etapestry.com/hosted/TheCornucopiaInstitute/OnlineGiving.html
Farm to Consumer Foundation: http://www.farmtoconsumerfoundation.org/donations.php
Let’s not put small farmers out of business, let’s fight from the top down so that small farmers have more choices!
2) Secondly, I think that the actual health risks from this spray that is used on the outside of the carcass (in diluted form) and pretty much completely cut off the meat are very small. If you are concerned about GMO’s (which I am very concerned about), then I would recommend that you try to cut out the real, more serious sources of it. To put this issue in context, one corn chip from a Mexican restaurant would be much more of a concern to me than eating a whole cow from US Wellness Meats. The same goes for any type of corn or soy product found in pretty much all processed food (anything fried, anything corn, anything with corn syrup, anything with soy products is going to be a much bigger concern). This includes “natural products” by the way.
3) US Wellness Meats is following a routine regulation that they can’t control. I realized the processing place my local farmer uses could be using this same process (they use their own butcher, but I believe it is slaughtered by a third party). If it is very important for you to avoid this, I recommend that you avoid all meats from any store (including Whole Foods), work with a farmer in your area, and directly call the place he uses to have his cow slaughtered at. The farmer will probably not know what is used unless he has specifically searched this out himself. Better yet, buy land, raise your own cow and butcher it yourself or hire out to a place you can completely trust and control how it is butchered. That’s what it takes sometimes.
4) The two separate issues of the corn allergy and GMO’s have gotten easily confused in discussions about this issue on other forums. Some corn allergy people have made suggestions about other non-corn derived solutions that US Wellness Meats can use (which actually may not be an option in their particular state), but those products could easily have a higher concentration of GMO’s (like a vinegar based solution). PURAC, as imperfect as it is, at least has gotten the “green stamp” of approval because the DNA from GMO’s is not found in the product. Many of us without corn allergies might like some of the other options even less. One option that US Wellness Meat could use is submerging the slaughtered cows in hot water and effectively flash cooking the outside of the cow. However, this would substantially raise their prices, and because it would discolor the meat (from the partial cooking), would make for unhappy customers, which is why they opted out of that option. I should also note that many corn sensitive people have purchased meat from US Wellness Meats in the past without issue.
6) When this issue was first brought to my attention, I carefully thought through the issue to decide whether or not this is something I would feed my family as I do work hard at avoiding GMO’s. As any real life friend knows, I am very particular about what we eat, and especially so for our daughter. I take food very seriously, so I seriously considered this decision.
I personally decided that this is food I am very comfortable feeding to my family. I truthfully feel that this issue has gotten blown out of proportion and I will gladly continue to offer support to US Wellness Meats. I personally feel that supporting US Wellness Meats is a wise choice in how I spend my food money. Not only am I supporting farmers that take grass fed meat seriously and have worked hard to bring a quality product to our table, but their products bring the very important animal organs into our diet through their really delicious sausages, which truthfully is hard to do. For that reason I just placed a large order with them and will continue to support them. I would never ever risk my daughter’s health to help someone else out (even my best friends!) by buying their product. So my personal choice to eat their product was very thoughtfully and seriously made. (For those interested, Ann Marie also had very similar conclusions as reported in her post).
I hope that this adequately explains the situation. None of my readers are under any obligation to follow any of the same choices that I do, and I respect that. I only felt the obligation to my readers to explain this situation fully. I am so thankful to you all, my readers, and I would never want to promote any product that I didn’t fully want myself or already use.
And now, we can return to our regularly scheduled program (of yummy recipes!)! See you soon!
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Katy@ThoughtForFood
Thanks for the details, Kimi.
As the mom of a corn-allergic preschooler, I can say that corn is truly a BEAST to avoid — it’s virtually impossible. Even worse is that the USDA does not require it to be labeled on any foods, leaving those with the allergy with the impossible task of being a food detective with everything they eat (usually only being able to truly rely on their body and its reactions).
I do believe lactic acid can be derived from beets. But as you say, it might not be suitable in this case due to odd USDA regulations.
I wholeheartedly agree with your suggestion that, for those who are able, the best solution is to source your meat locally. While I don’t know the specifics about USDA requirements, it seems to follow that the further meat has to travel, the more it must be regulated and messed with (even if a company like USWM is doing their best to keep that processing minimal and friendly).
As you and many of your readers know, food allergy is so frustrating. But we have to understand that unintended exposure at times is inevitable. We have to pick our battles, right? And make decisions based on our own health, but try not to throw the baby out with the bathwater for everyone else at the same time.
KimiHarris
My sympathies are with you! It must be close to impossible to avoid completely. And yes, food allergies are so frustrating. I don’t know how many things I reacted to that were supposed to be “safe” for me. It’s always a frustrating experience. Thankfully I’ve healed enough now that I rarely have big reactions to any foods anymore. That’s been a real blessing.
(And, I should mentioned, like Emily mentioned below, that many corn sensitive people have used US Wellness Meats without an issue).
KimiHarris
Hey Katy,
I wanted to mention that after your comment here, I noticed that Ann Marie had mentioned in another comment on her site that John said that they could use a lactic acid spray made from sugar beets from Thailand, but hadn’t because of the huge carbon footprint.
It would solve the corn issue, but after a little bit of research, I have found out that sugar beets are widely GMO. How frustrating. I might try to contact the Purac company and find out if they know if any of the sugar beets they use are GMO.
John Moody
One quick note in reading your post; the logic that they opt for the lactic acid other water bath to reduce meat loss has to be incorrect and contradictory – for the argument above is that the lactic acid isn’t an issue because THEY TRIM that outer meat off. Hot water baths would probably result in less meat loss
http://ddr.nal.usda.gov/bitstream/10113/22625/1/IND43830798.pdf
So, wanted to point this out and have a great day
KimiHarris
Actually, I think that it would raise the cost because of the energy it takes to keep all of the water hot. 🙂 I obviously am no farmer or slaughterhouse, so I am not pretending to be any expert here. This is just what I have heard from John Wood.
Sheila
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading such a well thought out, and well researched, response to the issue. Very thoughtfully put together, well done. I wish more folks put as much thought and effort into their words.
I appreciate all the hard work you and Anne-Marie put into your blogs. You’re helping to educate the nation and that is wonderful. Keep up the good work.
Emily
Thank you Kimi for all of the time you put into this, and specifically for your thoughtfulness. I too wish that people would be more thoughtful about their words and how they respond to things. My family has purchased from U.S. Wellness Meats and both my daughter and I have corn allergies (yes confirmed, not just our belief, and not just a sensitivity). We have had no problems or any allergic reactions for any of U.S. Wellness Meats products. Thanks so much for your time and effort that you put into this. Warmly, Emily
KimiHarris
Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for the kind comment. And thanks for sharing that you haven’t had a reaction to the meat. I have been so stunned over the emotional reactions to this issue! So I was trying to make a logical, thought out post, which hopefully it was. LOL.
Sarah Bearden
I am the WAPF chapter leader for Marin, California. Kimi, this is a fabulous article and you have done a stunnning amount of in depth research on this subject. Kudos! I am a nutritionist and I see a lot of corn allergies and sensitivities in my practice. I love how you have laced your scientific research with a call to support the small production farmer who raises pasture raised cattle. And your yummy recipes and Penny Wise Platter Thursdays are priceless! Thank you.
Angelle
Thanks for this great information. I just found your blog recently through Twitter and so appreciate your posts. Very helpful information. It’s amazing that, even when you think you know what you are eating from your local farmers, there are regulations and processes in place that you were unaware of. Thanks for shedding light and offering a calm and rational opinion.
Dr. Mike Okouchi
This was an amazing article and very well researched and presented. It still amazes me how the general public is kept in the dark about these types of issues. Or that the average consumer hardly ever questions the source of their food. We’ve become so accustomed to just going to a store to buy our food, that we don’t even realize where they’re coming from or how they’re produced. Most people don’t even know when a specific fruit is in-season. As a Holistic Chiropractor I deal with all sorts of ‘weird’ ailments for which western medicine has no answers. Scary, but I’m hopeful. Hopeful because there are people like you who are getting the word out and enlightening the general population. Keep it up!
Sara
Just entered the contest to win the samples of natural perfumes….I’m excited to know that they exist! They all sound heavenly.
Dani
Thanks for clearing the murky waters, Kimi! Fortunately, I do not have a corn sensitivity (nor does anyone in my family), but the “it-can’t-be-helpled” support of GMO’s is disappointing.
Thank you for presenting the information in clear, easy-to-understand words and format, and for addressing ALL the issues–GMO is not the same issue as corn-allergy or -sensitivity, people! And, especially, thank you for providing the answers: “well, if that’s not good enough, then what do I do?” When I watched the documentary Food, Inc., that was my chief complaint: I already knew, but millions more will have no idea how to find healthy, grass-fed and pastured meat, chicken, etc. Short of picking up the package marked “natural” at your local grocer, people need to be educated as to where to find these meats. For myself and my family, USWM is a splurge-item for me. I can’t get some of the organ meats, etc. from my local source, so I go local for my mains, but will continue to shop USWM–fearlessly, thankyouverymuch– for the harder-to-obtain items.
KimiHarris
Dani,
Thanks for the sweet comment. US Wellness Meats is definitely a splurge for us too. We get a quarter of a cow once a year from local farmers (and I realized through this experience that I have no idea if anything is used during processing! Something to check up on) and then I, like you, buy hard to find items from US Wellness Meats. I really appreciate having products with organs meats in it, because I just don’t get enough of it in our diet! I have a really hard time even finding organic chicken livers locally. It’s definitely a special treat and I was going to be disappointed if I no longer felt it was a safe product, so I am glad that after thought and research I still feel comfortable eating it!
kc
Where is the outrage that current government regulations support the use of GMO sprays on pasture raised and even organic meat? Why do you feel like you can’t support USWM AND speak out against the use of GMOs on real food?
Yes, beets are GMOs now, so are squash, papayas, bacterial enzymes used to make cheese, the vitamin D carriers in organic milk, the wax coatings on organic apples, the ethanol gas used to ripen organic bananas, the cornstarch in medicine, the glue in teabags and the corn syrup in childrens pain relievers. Sugar cane, rice and alfalfa are next on the agenda. While nobody was watching, GMOs have been sneaking into all our real food products more and more aggressively since 1999 – notice that none of those listed above are processed or junk foods. Pasture raised meat from the farmer was one of the last things left that was GMO-free, but now you are waving goodbye to that with a big smile on your face. It is bad enough when these things happen because nobody was informed enough to take action, but worse still when you actively use a public voice to urge others to accept it instead of fighting it.
By the way, your representation of the hot water treatment insinuates that the carcass is submerged in boiling water. That is patently ridiculous. In the hot water treatment, the carcass is sprayed with water that is only heated to 165 degrees (that’s 47 degrees below the boiling point) for 5.5 seconds. The hot water spray method is used on all meats exported to the EU and is more effective than lactic acid spray by 46%! Of course in the EU, they don’t tolerate GMOs in their food supply and here even real foodies embrace them.
KimiHarris
Hi KC,
I am sorry you feel the way you do and am surprised that you could read what I wrote and come to judge me the way that you do.
As you sound like you take GMO’s seriously, which I commend, I hope that you are involved in some of the serious organizations that fight GMO’s as that’s where I expect to see real change in this issue.
My understanding from US Wellness Meats (which I could totally have wrong) was that they would be required to submerge the meat, but I could have misunderstood them.
Lindsey
Wow — a lot of time and thought obviously went into this post! Thank you for sharing, and allowing your readers to benefit from your research. I trust your judgment!
Jessica
Hi Kimi,
Thanks so much for all the effort you put into this post. I really find your blog very helpful and informative. I noticed in your response to one of the comments that you mentioned you have healed enough to no longer react to most of the foods you did previously. I’m interested in finding out more about what you did to heal your digestion. Was it primarily through following Nourishing Traditions? Do you already have any other posts that deal with that topic. I’ve developed a lot of food sensitivities over the past couple of years, and would love to get to the point where I could eat at least some of my forbidden foods again. Thanks for your help!
Sandra Tollette'
We just bought well over a hundred dollars of US Wellness Meat products, and I am very sorry we did. Lactic acid can effect the muscle’s and breast tissue… after we ate the meat, I began feeling a soreness in both of my breast … it scared me to no end. Sure enough, after researching, I found out about the side effects of lactic acid. We want our money back… there is no way my husband wants to eat the rest of this meat either.
Rachel R.
So this is a USDA regulation – meaning, presumably, that all natural producers will be using the same, or a very similar, product? And yet people are singling out USWM to cry “contamination”? What is wrong with you people? I’m sorry to sound harsh, but seriously…if this is, indeed, “contamination” then go after the USDA, for heaven’s sake! Not the guy whose neck the USDA has its boot on.
We don’t yell at the organic milk producers that they’ve ruined their milk by pasteurizing it, because we know they didn’t make the regulations that say they can’t sell it until they do. This is really no different – and the pasteurized milk (allergies aside) is more severely damaged!
(I should point out here that I have never purchased from USWM, having never heard of them before now, so I have no vested interest in this specific company. I’m just hearing a lot of reactionary and, therefore, irrational accusations in this discussion.)
r
I have been a longtime US Wellness customer and decided today to discontinue buying from them. Why? Because they are selling a large amount of meat imported from Tasmania. You cannot request to only purchase ground beef from only the USA or from their local farms because they willinform you that they MIX IN the tasmania meat. WHY?…sounds like they have become too large to supply the demand. I like to know the animals I eat are being raised on the grassy plains by these coop farms. I used to purchase many cuts of beef from them in addition to ground beef. I am sadly discontinuing my purchases from today and looking locally within my state for soley USA grassfed beef. Be consumer aware. Ask if they import from Tasmania…especially when you order ground beef.
jessica
No doubt you did your research, but as someone who has a severe corn allergy I find it disheartening that you said, ‘its safer to eat the hole cow then one corn chip’. do you honestly think people with corn allergies have such a disregard for their health and the reactions caused? The problem here with lactic acid is that it’s not required to be listed on the packaging, all you see is minimally processed. And I believe we all have a right to know what is on, or in, our food. I bet you didn’t also know that most packaging contains corn starch too? People who are discovering how to live with a corn allergy are unaware and have to continually track down the source of the problem. There are over 180 corn ‘names’ used as ingredients so good luck finding anything to eat. Oh, and by the way, produce is also sprayed woth it too, so I buy all my food from local farmers and then can foods for the winter. I am so insulted by your comments.
kb
I am surprised that this information came out in 2010 and I never saw it!! We also purchased over 20 lb of ground beef from USWM in 2011 and ended up getting sick from it—-food intolerance sick! When I called USWM about our problem, they IMMEDIATELY refunded my money and I ended up giving my meat away. I always wondered why they did this without question—-but now its obvious. People ARE having problems with their meats—and I am thinking probably only ground beef. In fact, we are having the same issue with out local grassfed beef provider, but now I know why. He sells commercially and so obviously is having to follow these USDA guidelines for lactic acid or acetic acid spraying, of which more gets into the ground beef. We always wash our steaks and roasts off, but obviously you can’t wash ground beef. We still buy steaks from USWM with NO problems.
For the average consumer buying healthy meats for regular health reasons, this is no big deal. For those of us dealing with food intolerances, this is a HUGE deal!!! The fact that this is not disclosed is very disheartening because it is a waste of our money and time—-also leaving us hungry because we can’t just go to the local regular grocery store and buy more meat. EVERYTHING is specially sourced when you deal with intense food intolerances….