Source: MEATINGPLACE, 2/18/16

British researchers have found that both organic meat and milk contain about 50 percent more omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced products.

A team of scientists led by Newcastle University researchers reviewed 196 papers on milk and 67 papers on meat and also found differences in the concentrations of some essential minerals and antioxidants. Their findings were published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

“Several of these differences stem from organic livestock production and are brought about by differences in production intensity, with outdoor-reared, grass-fed animals producing milk and meat that is consistently higher in desirable fatty acids such as the omega-3s, and lower in fatty acids that can promote heart disease and other chronic diseases,” Newcastle University professor Carlo Leifert, who led the research, said in a press release.

Other positive changes in fat profiles included lower levels of myristic and palmitic acid in organic meat and a lower omega-6/omega-3 ratio in organic milk.

The study showed that more desirable fat profiles in organic milk were closely linked to outdoor grazing and low concentrate feeding in dairy diets, as prescribed by organic farming standards.

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