Organic meats, like other organic products, are produced naturally. For meat, this means that the animals are raised without the use of growth hormones, the routine use of antibiotics, or any other synthetic substance. Organic farmers must adhere to strict guidelines in order for their meat products to be considered as organic. The animals must be free of all growth hormones and stimulants, and be allowed to access the outdoors to graze in certified organic pastures. If the animals are administered food, it must be 100% certified organic feed. The animals must be treated in a humane manner at all times. All the meat handling and processing must conform to strict USDA standards and be done in a certified plant that is regularly inspected for organic production.

Feed Mills

Feed mills that produce food for organic livestock must be dutifully inspected, as well as certified. If a particular mill produces both organic and non-organic feed, special procedures are implemented and documented to ensure that there is no co-mingling between the organic and non-organic feed. Organic feed must be grown without the use of chemicals, such as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Furthermore, the land that produces this feed must have been free of all synthetic materials for at least three years. All storage bins and mixing/packaging equipment must be cleaned prior to processing organic feed. Feed mills must also be vigilant to avoid the possible contamination of organic feed with the hormones, antibiotics, and animal by-products that are added to the non-organic products.

Slaughter Facilities
Slaughterhouses can only slaughter organic livestock and poultry when all the machines have been emptied and all the equipment has been thoroughly cleaned. A specific slaughterhouse does not have to focus solely on producing organic meats; it can become certified when it can prove that is has taken all the necessary steps to protect its organic products from non-organic ones.

Why Buy Organic Meats?
When meat is produced without the use of synthetic means and hormones, it possesses less potentially harmful toxins, various poisonous compounds that eventually end up in the consumer’s body. Therefore, it is safe to assume that organic meats are a more nutritious and beneficial choice over their counterparts. Moreover, animals raised in an organic environment are not subjected to high levels of stress that are often found on traditional factory-farms; this can lead to healthier animals, which in turn can lead to healthier meats for the consumer.