There is a trend in the grocery industry towards using popular ‘buzzwords’ that promote healthy eating. Organic, Grass-Fed, Free-Range, Gluten-Free, and Pastured, just to name a few. While many people feel a sense of comfort buying something with these familiar labels, many are misunderstood by the consumer, and that is partly due to misrepresentation and/or a lack of knowledge of how those terms are used. For that reason, I wanted to share with you how we define the following terms when it comes to our products.
Grass-Fed: At BlossomPure Organic, all our grass-fed beef are 100% Grass-Fed from start to finish with no use of fillers or anything outside their naturally intended diet. Other suppliers could use that term although, the animal could be fed grain and other fillers along with their grass diet.
Pasture-Raised: At BlossomPure, it refers to poultry (chickens and turkeys) raised outdoor in season (May-October) following a sustainable and traditional method for the animal to live their natural life. They have free access to fresh air and sunshine and are able to roam scratch, peck, and consume their natural intended diet. Their diet include organic grain, clean grass that contains no GMOs, pesticides, or herbicides, and earth worms. These chickens not only are happier and healthier but, they also taste better.
GMO (genetically modified organism: Put simply, GMOs alter the genetics of an organism to boost the overall yield while sacrificing quality. At BlossomPure, all of our products are either certified organic or GMO free. We are a GMO Free zone
Free Range: (Referring most often to poultry, beef or lamb) Free range means an animal has access to roam outdoor however, it does not mean the grass they eat or the grain they consume is pesticide or GMO free unless otherwise specified.
Free Run: Animals can roam around inside the barn without access outside the barn. The difference between free run and free range is that free range animals may leave the shelter when the weather permits grazing. Generally, small farmers allow more space per animal than conventional farmers.
Halal: Deriving from Arabic, which means ‘permissible’. Similar to Kosher, it is a religious guideline on how to humanely harvest animals while ensuring there is minimal suffering and discomfort. The ultimate halal standard is to provide the animal with a good and happy life and give them access to the food that was intended for them to eat and minimize their stress from the time they are born until the time they go.
Organic: Organic meat/poultry means the animals are not given any antibiotic and hormones and their feed is free of GMO, chemical fertilizer and pesticides. For crops it means it is cultivated without the use of pesticide and chemical fertilizers.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Best,
Fahim