Myoglobin. Reduce waste & increase your pet's health at the same time!

written by

posted on

January 20, 2023

If you’re a pet owner, you’re probably aware of how dramatically the cost of pet food has risen over the past year (maybe not our pet food but definitely store-bought pet food). During and after the holiday season, when budgeting can be especially tight, this can be even more stressful than normal.

Would you be relieved, then, if I told you that there was a quality source of nutrition for your pet? And even better - that it’s already in your kitchen?

The best pet food that you’ve probably never heard of is called myoglobin. You see it frequently - it’s the red, pink, or purple liquid that pools in the bottom of the bag when you thaw out a piece of meat. It’s often mistaken for blood, but it’s actually an incredibly important nutrient - for both you and your pet.

Myoglobin is an iron- and oxygen-binding protein that’s found in our cardiac and skeletal muscles. Because it captures oxygen, it’s used by our muscle cells for energy. It’s also the source of heme iron that gives meat its particular color. The more myoglobin, the darker the color of both the meat and the liquid that it produces. Beef has the highest concentration; poultry the lowest.

But myoglobin concentrations are also affected by the way animals are raised. The more an animal moves, the higher its myoglobin - because its muscles need more oxygen and energy. As you can imagine, this means that pasture-raised and grass-fed animals produce meat that is a better source of myoglobin.

But what does this have to do with your pet? Myoglobin contains trace amounts of protein, amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and essential nutrients - all things that your pet receives when it consumes myoglobin.

What’s more, myoglobin is a source of taurine - an essential protein and antioxidant for cats and dogs. Taurine builds and strengthens heart muscle in pets. It also prevents muscle degeneration and arrhythmias, and supports eye and vision health.

Moreover, since myoglobin is a raw ingredient, it contributes to the benefits of a raw food diet for pets: shinier coats, healthier skin, improved dental health, and increased energy.

And just one more benefit - moisture! Some pets have a hard time drinking enough water. Myoglobin is a tasty liquid that helps them stay hydrated.

So the next time you find myoglobin in your bag of thawed meat, don’t discard it - pour it in a bowl for your pet! And let us know what happens - we bet they’ll love it.

What do you feed your pet? Do you have any at-home hacks for extending your food budget?

I’d love to hear from you. Comment below (no account required - start typing for the guest option to appear) or contact us .

Pastured Meat

Health and Nutrition

Cooking

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Let’s take a look at what rennet is and why it’s used in cheesemaking, compare the different types of animal and vegetable rennets, check out the labeling requirements for rennet, and consider the potential health consequences. Keeping all this in mind, Miller’s Bio Farm aims to produce the most nutrient-dense, natural, A2/A2 cheese we can and gives you all the info you need to make the choice that’s best for your body!

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

It used to be true that, if your egg yolks were darker in color, then the better the egg's nutrition. Conscious consumers of the past would look for that deep orange yolk and stray away from lighter yellow yolks. It's sad, but this simply isn't the case anymore. Here's why you can't trust cheap store-bought eggs with orange yolks and need to know your farmer instead.

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Did you know that, globally, pork is the #1 meat? According to the UN, 10% more pork is eaten compared to poultry worldwide. And, 50% more pork is eaten compared to beef worldwide. Wow! But, for some reason, this isn't the case in the US. According to the USDA, pork ranks #3 when it comes to meat. Americans eat 30% less pork compared to poultry and 15% less compared to beef. Why is this? Well, pork has gotten a pretty bad rep in the US. Of course there are some religions that prohibit pork, but that's not the leading factor. Some reasons why pork has a bad rep. 1- Too much saturated fat. The low fat craze started in the 1970s and fizzled out in the 1990s. It came from the belief that (1) fat makes us fat; and (2) that too much saturated fat = high cholesterol = bad things like heart disease and cholesterol. These myths have been debunked. Read more in fats and health blog post. The bottom line is that not all fats are created equal. Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

Myoglobin. Reduce waste & increase your pet's health at the same time!

But what does this have to do with your pet? Myoglobin contains trace amounts of protein, amino acids, minerals, antioxidants, and essential nutrients - all things that your pet receives when it consumes myoglobin.

So the next time you find myoglobin in your bag of thawed meat, don’t discard it - pour it in a bowl for your pet! And let us know what happens - we bet they’ll love it.

What do you feed your pet? Do you have any at-home hacks for extending your food budget?

More from the blog

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

Do

Learn

Uphold

Connect

Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566