The unparalleled taste and tenderness of Heritage Angus Beef is a result of exceptional genetics, meticulous care and feeding, and the aging process. There are several key differences that separate Heritage Angus Beef from organic beef or other beef products that are marketed as "natural beef."
| Growing Practices and Beef Production | Heritage Angus Beef | Commodity Beef | Other "Natural" Beef programs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grown from birth without hormones or antibiotics. | Yes | No | Varies. Some programs allow animals to be treated for sickness and then still allowed into a natural beef program. Some programs allow cattle to be bought on the open market with an affidavit from the original owner. |
| ALL rendered animal by-products are banned from the feed. | Yes | No. Feeding- rendered ruminants to ruminants has been banned since 1997. However other rendered products such as blood meal, fish meal, feather meal and tallow still get used in cattle rations. | Varies |
| Individual ranches own, finance, care for and manage each animal from birth to store level. | Yes | No | No |
| All beef is from animals under 30 months of age. | Yes | No | Maybe, depending on brand. |
| Dairy breed cows prohibited. | Yes | No | Maybe, depending on brand. |
| Ranches are third-party certified for meeting environmental goals and best management. practices. | Yes | No | No |
| All feed is organically certified. | No | No | No |
| Are all the cattle graded Canada AAA? | Taste and tenderness are a result of how the animal was raised and fed, not how much marbling fat is in the meat. We will not feed excessive amounts of grain for long periods of time just to fatten up an animal past the point of health for both the animal and the consumer in order to hit a meaningless marbling score in the meat. All HAB is AA and better | No | Most other 'natural' beef companies aggressively promote AAA marbling scores. The letters 'AAA' seem to have market appeal due to consumer perception that the higher the fat marbling the more tender the meat. This notion unfortunately does not address the health of the animal or the health of the consumer, nor is there any scientific correlation between marbling score and tenderness. |
| Are cattle bought on the open market from suppliers based on need? | HAB member ranches raise all the cattle used in the HAB program from birth. Cattle needs are projected out 18 months in advance. | Yes | Yes. Natural beef vendors regularly buy cattle on the open market with an affidavit in order meet sales demand. |