Raising the Steaks via | A fresh squeeZe
You've heard it before: A mostly plant-based diet is better, both for your health and for the environment, than a meat-based diet. But realistically, strict vegetarianism is not a diet that every diner will embrace. So today we're talking sustainability and meat
Eco-conscious omnivores can seek the USDA Organic seal on meat, poultry and dairy products. But just what does that label guarantee? Well, it varies.
To earn the seal, poultry raised for meat or eggs must be given 100% organic feed from the second day of life and have some access to the great outdoors. Livestock (beef, lamb and pork) also need access to the outdoors and must dine on 100% organic feed for the last third of their lives. Ruminants--i.e. cows--should have access to organic pasture during that period. Use of hormones and antibiotics is prohibited across the board.
Local food expert Jo Robinson has developed a resource to help connect consumers directly to sustainable meat and dairy farmers. Robinson's Eatwild Illinois Resource List identifies farms that have signed off on a list of exacting standards. For instance, all animals must spend much of their lives outdoors, ruminants are never fed grain or corn, and surrounding water sources must be protected from harmful animal impacts.
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Cast Iron Cookware
A Non-Sticky Subject
There are lots of rumors about Teflon. But what's the real deal with non-stick?
Teflon is one brand name for a chemical called polytetrafluoroethene (PTFE) that was discovered in the 1940s. Scientists soon discovered that when surfaces (like pots and pans) are coated with the slippery stuff, they have the lowest coefficient of friction of any known solid material - letting cooks around the world use less butter and oil. Sound good? Think twice.
While PTFE is relatively harmless at room temperature, it begins to degrade around 500° F - roughly the temperature of a hot stove burner. In studies commissioned by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), pans left unattended on a hot stove for just five minutes release "at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutant, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses."
Read the rest of 'A Non-Sticky Subject' on our website.
