Why grassfed & grass finished?

There is a lot of literature published on beef cattle and the benefits for consumers. The facts confirm that grass-fed beef is the healthy option and superior to grain-fed beef in many important areas. Some important facts relating to Highland Beef are below:

Grass-fed beef has up to four times more beta-carotene than conventional feedlot meat

  • Beta-carotene: (an important antioxidant) Beta-carotene is the only carotene that can be converted into Vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A is crucial to your health, playing an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, & cell division. Vitamin A also helps maintain skin & mucous membranes that defend against bacteria, viruses & helps regulate the immune system.

Grass fed beef is known to be:

  • Lower in cholesterol: reducing the risk of heart disease.
  • Higher in beneficial omega 3 fatty acids: which reduces inflammation, helps prevent heart disease & arthritis.

Grass feed beef also increases levels of:

  • Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): CLA is an important polyunsaturated fatty acid that assists in reducing heart disease & diabetes, protects against many types cancer, helps reduce body fat & enhance muscle tone.
  • Vitamin E: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from the harmful effects of toxins & carcinogens that cause free radical damage to cells in the body. It is a cardiovascular protectant & also protects against cancer.
  • Healthier ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids: Omega 3 plays a crucial role in brain function, as well as normal growth and development.Only grass fed beef is recommended by Food Standard Australia for beef to be considered a source of omega-3 fatty acids

Grass feed beef also has:-

  • Fewer calories 
  • Less overall fat 

Highland Beef is known to be an excellent source of high-quality:

  • Protein: to build new cells, maintain tissues, & synthesize new proteins that make it possible for you to perform basic bodily functions.
  • Iron: to make the oxygen-carrying proteins haemoglobin & myoglobin. Haemoglobin is found in red blood cells & myoglobin is found in muscles.
  • Zinc: for wound healing, brain function, growth & development. Zinc also plays an important role in our immune system.
  • Selenium: for proper growth & functioning, including immune response and thyroid function.
  • Phosphorus: for strong healthy bones & teeth, it also helps the body create energy.
  • B-complex vitamins: beneficial for anxiety, stress, fatigue, dermatitis, diverticulitis, poor hair condition, tinnitus.

The Sunday Times (28th February, 2010) noted that tests carried out by the Scottish Agricultural College identified the:

  • Cholesterol level in Highland Beef is comparable to chicken

Highland Beef contains

  • Higher protein
  • Higher Iron levels than commercially farmed beef

A purebred Highlander’s overall fat content can be less than a third of that of commercial breeds, & the fat which is present is low in saturated fat & contains more useful Omega-3 fatty acids than non-British breeds

Conclusion to this research:- Highland Beef cannot be beaten in terms of taste, nutrition and health.

Our Highland beef is also free of:

  • Antibiotics
  • Hormonal Growth Promotants
  • Animal By-products

This is not always the case with commercial cattle. The Highlands shaggy coats and thick hides mean, unlike other cattle breeds, little fat is required to insulate under the skin. The fat is present as marbling ensuring enhanced flavour and moisture during cooking. Additionally Highland Cattle generally provide around a 60% bone out ratio providing additional returns to the farmer. Here we believe the key to Scottish Highland Beef is quality not quantity and the time taken to produce the beef. Our Highlands are slowly grown with care in a quiet idyllic stress free setting of natural green grass lands and this provides textured, tender, and tasty beef which is highly marbled and succulent. And with all the documentation about Highland Beef and Grass Fed Beef – how could you go past it! Here at our farm we really do embody the true paddock to plate philosophy demanded by the modern discerning consumer.

Source for information:

scottishhighlandcattle.org