Unpacking the Benefits of American-Raised Meats

Farm to table. Garden to plate. Locally sourced.

These are modern phrases synonymous with fresh, delicious, sustainable food. It’s the new, old standard for the best farmer’s markets, the tastiest restaurants, and premier grocery products.

Yet we live in a globalized society where much of our food—and meat—comes from surprisingly far away. We may not think to glance at Country of Origin labels when we go grocery shopping, and we take for granted the behind-the-scenes processes that made that meat our meal. And it’s anything but domestic.

At 8Primal, our core commitment is to procure 100% USA-raised beef, chicken, and pork. We know there is quality and trust associated with USA-made meat. We also know there are customers out there who agree.

Why Choose Made-in-the-USA Meat

There are several reasons why we’ve built our brand to be American-bred. To start, our meat tastes phenomenal. But the advantages don’t stop there.

U.S. Meat Supports American Farmers and Communities

Buying local and supporting domestic agriculture is beneficial for the U.S. economy and workers. It helps protect and preserve farmland and buoys rural communities in their success.

Domestically-sourced meat also ensures a reliable meat supply when global issues like supply chain disruptions and trade wars arise.

Locally Sourced Makes a Positive Environmental Impact

Driving by farms on the way to the store only to purchase meat from overseas is an unfortunate irony. The transportation of meat over long distances wastes resources and worsens the carbon footprint.

Buying domestic meat is therefore efficient and sustainable, especially when we support farms relying on natural energy sources and raising free-range, grass-fed animals.

American Meat Offers Quality, Safety, and Transparency

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stringent regulations and inspection processes within the meat industry. It has pioneered exceptional standards in food safety.

Homegrown meat allows even better insight into its detailed origins and raising practices. Although the USDA also inspects foreign meat at its source, it can be harder to monitor each step of the process. The complexities of international supply chains and longer meat-handling time increase the room for error. (Like incorrect labeling).

The Benefits of USA-Raised Beef

Quality Grading

The USDA has an excellent beef-grading system that helps steer buyers toward their desired price range, taste profile, and tenderness.

• Prime meat is sourced from young, well-fed cattle. It contains generous marbling (fat deposits) to make the meat tender and juicy. This is considered top-tier beef, is often sold to fancy restaurants, and is the rarest and most expensive.
• Choice beef has less marbling but is still excellent in overall quality, taste, and consistency.
• Select beef has the least amount of marbling, making it the leanest. It’s slightly less tender than prime and choice cuts but remains high-quality. 

Raising Practices and Flavor Profiles

U.S. grass-fed beef is growing in traction and is highly sustainable based on its common use of regenerative agriculture.

Grass-fed beef is also healthier for our bodies. It’s raised without hormones, antibiotics, preservatives, or additives while offering an abundance of Omega 3s, essential vitamins, and minerals.

Our tenet at 8Prime is to source grass-fed, grain-finished beef straight from Texas.

But, why grain-finished? And why Texas?

Grain-finished is a practice that ensures the majority of a cow’s life is grass-fed, but allows the meat to gain a fattier marbling in its last months with a grain-fed diet. It’s a power combo that promotes sustainability, nutrition, and exceptional taste. 

And we source from Texas because we are a Texas-based company. We remain true to our farm-to-table values by purchasing meat from our Lone Star compatriots. When we say we only source locally, we mean it. 

Beef Regulations and Standards

In addition to the USDA, the collaborative Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program helps U.S. beef producers maintain best practices for raising cattle. This includes humane cattle handling, transportation, facility management, and updated record keeping.

Now, that’s transparency.

The Benefits of USA-Raised Pork and Chicken

Increasingly Better Welfare and Practices

Like free-range beef, the U.S. is expanding its production of crate-free pork and cage-free chicken.

Chicken and swine growing up in less confined spaces have fewer health issues. There isn’t a need to add growth hormones or antibiotics to what might be otherwise sickly stock. This lack of additives leads to healthier red and white meat for human consumption.

And naturally, this free-roaming process is more humane for livestock and poultry.

Quality Inspection

The USDA inspects poultry and pork as thoroughly as it does its beef.

Since 1957, the Poultry Products Inspection Act (PPIA) has required all poultry crossing state lines to be monitored before and after slaughter. Facilities have to be inspected for sanitation, functionality, residue, poultry chilling, slaughter/dressing, and labeling accuracy.

Pork is equivalently monitored, and retail-sold pork wears the “Passed and Inspected by USDA” seal. It’s America’s way of saying, “we’ve got your back.”

Additionally, our 8Primal Texas suppliers are all Pork Quality Assurance Plus (PQA+) trained. PQA+ is a third-party training program that ensures food safety and animal well-being.

Pork and Chicken Grading

Like beef, American pork and chicken have unique grading systems to help consumers select their preferred type of meat.

Pork Grading

Pork is graded on the yield of lean meat it produces, its fat thickness, carcass weight, and overall color and quality. 

• U.S. Nos. 1-4 (or Acceptable) denotes pork that can be sold in stores.
• Utility-graded pork can only be used in processed products.

Chicken Grading

Chicken has a grading system of U.S. A, B, or C.

US Grade A is awarded to chicken with little to no deformities. It’s symmetrical, with sufficient flesh and some fat. This is the chicken that is sold in stores.

US Grade B chicken has a few defects in color or shape, but is still high quality. It is generally used in ground poultry products.

US Grade C chicken has the most deficiencies. It’s still safe and edible, but primarily used in ground poultry products.

Taste and Texture to Please Our Palettes

American-raised pork is healthier than before. Chicken is also flourishing and more robust due to increasingly humane practices.

Fortunately, cage-free pork and chicken have an arguably better taste. Their varied diets and lower stress levels positively affect the composition and consistency of their meat.

8Primal's Commitment to Exceptional Meat

Our existence is partially to prove a point; it shouldn’t be a luxury to eat quality meat.

Delicious, all-natural meat is in our roots—and roots are homegrown.

For all the reasons we’ve mentioned, our dedication to source exclusively from American farms will always be non-negotiable. It’s a commitment we believe the heck out of, and for good reason.

We hope you do, too.

Explore 8Primal's selection of USA-made meats, and experience the difference.