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| Tuesday, July 03, 2007 |
Green Meat: Kosher Organic
From our July/August 2007 issue. This article is part of our larger package, the AJL Green List.
A revolution is taking place in the small kosher butcher section of my very large retail chain grocer. Almost overnight, the traditional Styrofoam plated shrink-wrapped cuts of meat were replaced by pieces of poultry and beef packaged in less wasteful vacuum-sealed plastics, specially tailored to the shape of the meat. The display was eye-catching to say the least. Yet, while I’m always eager to keep up with the latest meat-packaging trend, my meats’ new digs was only a small part of what made it a welcome addition to my kitchen.
As it turns out, these meats came from Wise Organic Pastures, a producer of “double certified” poultry and beef, which means its products are certified kosher and organic. The rabbis of Crown Heights and the Orthodox Union each share partial responsibility for making sure that all Wise products strictly adhere to the dietary requirements of Jewish law. Plus, Wise meats carry the official “USDA Organic” seal, indicating that the company is bound by law to ensure that the animals are antibiotic and growth hormone free and are not fed animal byproducts which are responsible for diseases like Mad Cow.
Also, if you shied away from kosher meat following PETA’s advertising campaign against Rubashkin’s inhumane treatment of kosher animals a few years ago, you’ll be pleased to know that organic companies emphasize the animals’ well-being. The animals are given larger living spaces than animals in industrial farms, with outdoor access and organic diets.
Raising animals organically is also good for the environment. Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers known to contaminate water and soil are not used on organic farm lands. And, unlike industrial farms, organic farmers recycle manure which helps to avoid spillovers of E. Coli contaminations.
Wise, which is run by the Amish, is not the only kosher-organic farm in the marletplace. Among the handful of companies is Tiferet Organic Products which offers a full line of organic meats, including fish. The good news is that most of these farms and several distributors accept orders online. So if the double-certified label isn’t in you supermarket yet, you’re just a click away from a smarter — and smartly dressed — choice of meat.
This article is part of our larger package, the AJL Green List.
-- Text by Elizabeth Cohen
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