June 17,
2010
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more
information contact:
Lyndee
Patterson, Certified Angus Beef Industry Information intern, lpatterson@certifiedangusbeef.com or 785-539-0123
What ‘Lean’ Means in
Beef Marketing
Healthy
eating is a growing concern for many Americans. The market is flooded with food
options boasting “reduced fat,” “low fat” or “no fat.” Meat products join in,
to the extent they can be described as “lean.”
Meats
offer many benefits, including some essential dietary fats. “They are an
incredible source of protein, and all the amino acids that are needed for
health,” says Dr. Betsy Booren, director of scientific affairs for the American
Meat Institute Foundation. “They also have nutrients like iron, zinc, niacin,
selenium, riboflavin and other B vitamins.”
But to be
considered “lean” by USDA definition, meat must contain less than 10 grams
total fat, 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat and less than 90 milligrams of
cholesterol per serving.
All of
the hype about fat has led some consumers to believe meat cannot be healthy if
it tastes good. They might think the only way to get lean beef is to buy from
the lower-grade Select case. But flavor does not have to be the sacrificial
lamb of healthy eating.
Lots of
high-quality cuts of beef are “lean” as well. For example, the Certified Angus Beef ® (CAB
®) brand is known for full flavor but has 24 cuts that also hit the lean
beef target. Those range from roasts and brisket to tenderloin steak (see
table).
“A lot of
processed products advertised as lean, especially the cheaper ones, don’t have
much flavor because they are made with soy and added water to dilute the fat,”
says Mark Gwin quality control and research and development manager for CAB.
“I’d rather enjoy more flavor in a balanced diet and have a glass of water on
the side,” he adds.
“Intramuscular fat (IMF), or marbling, largely
determines beef carcass value,” says Texas A&M University meat biologist
Stephen Smith. “Beef with more marbling tastes better to most people.”
“The difference in total fat percentage
between Select and Choice is only between 2% and 3%,” Gwin says. “When consumers purchase less-marbled, Select
cuts, they are giving up a lot of palatability, texture and quality for a very
small difference in that total.”
Marbling can offer more than improved taste.
“There’s a health benefit to eating well-marbled beef, compared to the
lower-grading kind,” Smith says. Beef with more marbling contains more oleic
acid, and it has been shown that oleic acid can decrease LDL cholesterol. The
levels of saturated and trans-fatty acids in beef decrease with more oleic
acid.
Most lean
beef cuts come from the round or the chuck, but other products like the brisket
or 95% lean ground beef are included in the category as well. However, not all lean beef is equal.
Smith and
a team of researchers found the brisket contained high levels of oleic acid
while the plate and the flank had more saturated fat than any of the others they
studied.
Even
though lean meats are considered a healthy food product, Booren advises
consumers not to get carried away with eliminating fat in their diet. “Fats
sometimes get a bad rap, but having a level of fat, whether it’s saturated or
unsaturated, is necessary for healthy living also,” she says.
Consumers
can still maintain healthy diets while enjoying meats that fall just outside of
the lean category. “If people like the
flavor and the palatability of some cuts of the higher grade beef, they need to
look at portion size,” Booren says.
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