I have just learned that people can buy beef made from
hormone/antibiotic free, grass fed cattle, and I want to start buying
it for health reasons. Here in Minneapolis there are a handful of
stores that sell Coleman Natural Beef.

I am confused about what happens to Colemans Natural cattle when they
get processed. On the Coleman Natural website, there are indications
that they process the beef. But at Rainbow Foods, the Coleman Natural
Beef is labeled as coming from a business called "Prestige Meats". From
what I can tell, this is an HACCP meat processing plant in Pennsylvania.

I know that some meat processing plants can cause health problems just
as bad as eating beef that was raised from cattle fed with antibiotics,
hormones, and dead animals mixed with chicken manure (which apparently
is what a hell of alot of beef in the USA is raised on).

I think I understand the Coleman program for raising cattle, but can
anyone tell me how their cattle is processed and what their policy
on processing is ? Can anyone tell me about the reputation of Prestige
Meats ?

On 29 Sep 2003 06:39:55 GMT, (BRAINIAC) wrote:

>I have just learned that people can buy beef made from
>hormone/antibiotic free, grass fed cattle, and I want to start buying
>it for health reasons. Here in Minneapolis there are a handful of
>stores that sell Coleman Natural Beef.
>
>I am confused about what happens to Colemans Natural cattle when they
>get processed. On the Coleman Natural website, there are indications
>that they process the beef. But at Rainbow Foods, the Coleman Natural
>Beef is labeled as coming from a business called "Prestige Meats". From
>what I can tell, this is an HACCP meat processing plant in Pennsylvania.

It is possible they ship to that center for processing and then it
goes to your store, ask your Rainbow meat manager for information.

>I know that some meat processing plants can cause health problems just
>as bad as eating beef that was raised from cattle fed with antibiotics,
>hormones, and dead animals mixed with chicken manure (which apparently
>is what a hell of alot of beef in the USA is raised on).

You do understand that BSE does not come from processing or cutting
the meat...

>I think I understand the Coleman program for raising cattle, but can
>anyone tell me how their cattle is processed and what their policy
>on processing is ?

Have you considered calling or emailing Coleman?

Questions or comments may be directed to

or call us toll-free at 1-800-442-8666 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Mountain Time, Monday -Friday

>Can anyone tell me about the reputation of PrestigeMeats ?

Try the USDA.

And from the Coleman website read more about the problem and the steps
thay have taken:

http://www.colemannatural.com/

"Transmission

There are different scientific hypotheses concerning the origins of
BSE. The epidemiological data suggest that BSE in the U.K. is an
extended common source epidemic involving feed containing
TSE-contaminated meat and bone meal as a protein source. The
causative agent is suspected to be from either Scrapie-affected sheep
or cattle with a previously unidentified TSE.

Changes in rendering operations in the early 1980s, particularly the
removal of a solvent extraction process that included a steam heat
treatment, may have played a part in the appearance of BSE and the
subsequent amplification of the agent in the cattle population. Cases
that have been detected in other countries appear to be a result of
importation of live cattle or, more significantly, contaminated feed
from the U.K.

There is no evidence that BSE spreads horizontally (i.e., by contact
between unrelated adult cattle and from cattle to other species). New
evidence suggests that maternal transmission may occur at an extremely
low level but that it would not perpetuate the epidemic under current
British farming conditions. Research continues in this area.

What is BSE?
BSE, Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also know as Mad Cow Disease,
is a progressive, lethal central nervous system disease of cattle.
The appearance is that of holes in the brain which gives it the
appearance of a sponge-this is where the term spongiform came from.

What causes BSE?
Researchers believe the BSE agent originated with the scrapie agent,
which has been present in sheep in the United Kingdom for at least 200
years. It is presumed, but will likely never be proven, that the
scrapie agent jumped species and moved into cattle when sheep offal
(the leftover parts of butchered animals) was included in protein
supplements fed to cattle. After cattle started to die, cattle
carcasses and offal were included in the same protein supplements.
This seems to have amplified the epidemic.

What does Coleman feed its cattle?
Coleman cattle have always been raised on grasses, grains, vitamins
and minerals, and have never received any animal parts or by-
products.

Any feedlot used by Coleman Natural Meats suppliers is subject to the
Coleman pre-approval process, which requires the feedlot to certify
that it adheres to Coleman protocols as well as all federal
regulations, including those governing animal feed composition and
veterinary drug residues. Livestock producers are required to observe
the ban on feeding mammal-derived protein supplements, specifically
meat and bone meal, in rations fed to cattle. In addition, feedlots
are required to conduct record audits and feed analyses to validate
that the feedstuffs are free of any and all animal by product. Thus,
an all-vegetarian diet is fed and potentially contaminated feedstuffs
are not fed back to cattle, a practice which is believed to have
caused the BSE problem in Europe. BSE cannot be passed from animal to
animal.

Data suggests it requires at least six to eight years for the
infective agent (prion proteins) to manifest the disease. The
threshold level is thought to be 30 months of age. In the U.S. the
majority of all cattle slaughtered, and in particular most fed cattle,
are younger than 30 months. "

at Mon, 29 Sep 2003 06:39:55 GMT in <3f77d3bb$0$167$a1866201
@newsreader.visi.com>, (BRAINIAC) wrote :

>I have just learned that people can buy beef made from
>hormone/antibiotic free, grass fed cattle, and I want to start buying
>it for health reasons. Here in Minneapolis there are a handful of
>stores that sell Coleman Natural Beef.
>
>I am confused about what happens to Colemans Natural cattle when they
>get processed. On the Coleman Natural website, there are indications
>that they process the beef. But at Rainbow Foods, the Coleman Natural
>Beef is labeled as coming from a business called "Prestige Meats". From
>what I can tell, this is an HACCP meat processing plant in Pennsylvania.

As I understand it, Coleman contracts third parties to do their meat
processing, using very stringent contract guidelines to make sure their
meat is processed according to their specifications. I believe that their
meat is separated from other meats passing through these plants, processed
on separate lines, and rigorously tracked throughout the process to make
sure it didn't get mixed or contaminated with other meats.

Coleman itself is a farming operation, and they pretty much *have* to do it
this way. The regulations concerning meat slaughter and processing make it
essentially impossible for a farmer to slaughter and process his own
cattle. The key is selecting the most conscientious processing plants and
monitoring what they do.

>I know that some meat processing plants can cause health problems just
>as bad as eating beef that was raised from cattle fed with antibiotics,
>hormones, and dead animals mixed with chicken manure (which apparently
>is what a hell of alot of beef in the USA is raised on).
>
This is usually at the low-end processing plants, the type Coleman stays
away from anyway. While it's possible some abuses happen even at the best
processors, you can make sure it doesn't happen with your meat by
specifying everything in the contract - which is what Coleman does. So the
risk is minimal.

--
Alex Rast

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