Organ Meat Status

written by

Marie Reedell

posted on

October 8, 2020

Don't waste - eat the whole beast. Plus, the organs are packed with major nutritional value!

Here's the status of bones and organs as of today.

BEEF

(shop for beef bones and organs here)

Beef Bones - in stock ****PUT ON SALE 15% with this newsletter***
Beef Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Beef Brains - we are working with the processor to sell this and hopefully will have some in stock in November
Beef Eyes - the processor is looking into this
Beef Heart - in stock
Beef Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Beef Kidney - in stock
Beef Liver - in stock
Beef Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Beef Soup Bones with Meat and Marrow - in stock
Beef Spleen - we are working with the processor to sell this and hopefully will have some in stock in November
Beef Testicles - the processor is looking into this
Beef Thyroid - not allowed by the USDA because of Mad Cow Disease
Beef Thymus/Sweetbreads - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Beef Tongue - in stock
Beef Tripe/Stomach - we are working with the processor to sell this and hopefully will have some in stock in November
Canoed Beef Marrow Bones - in stock
Cow Head - too big to deliver
Knuckle Bone - we expect these to be back in stock in November
Ground Beef Heart - the farmer cannot sell this on a regular basis because there’s usually not enough of the whole beef heart to make ground
Ground Beef Kidney - the farmer cannot sell this on a regular basis because there’s usually not enough of the whole beef kidney to make ground
Ox Tail - in stock
Sliced Beef Marrow Bones - we expect these to be back in stock in two weeks

POULTRY

(shop for poultry bones and organs here)

Chicken Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Chicken Feet - in stock
Chicken Gizzards - in stock NEED TO GET INVENTORY FROM AARON
Chicken Heads (brains and eyes included) - we expect these to be back in stock in two weeks
Chicken Hearts - in stock
Chicken Liver - in stock
Chicken Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Chicken Neck and Back - in stock
Chicken Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Turkey Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Turkey Feet - not for sale, the farmer uses these for turkey broth
Turkey Gizzards - in stock
Turkey Heads (brains and eyes included) - not for sale, the farmer uses these for turkey broth
Turkey Hearts - we expect these to be back in stock sometime in November, but they sell out quickly
Turkey Livers - in stock
Turkey Neck and Back - not for sale, the farmer uses these for turkey broth
Turkey Spleen - the processor is looking into this

LAMB & GOAT

(shop for lamb & goat bones and organs here)

Goat Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Goat Bones - in stock NEED TO GET INVENTORY FROM AARON
Goat Head (brains and eyes included) - in stock
Goat Heart - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Goat Kidneys - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Liver - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Goat Soup Bones - there will more the next time the farmer processes goats, and we don’t know when that will be
Goat Stomach - we would like to sell this if the processor will do it, the farmer will ask about that
Goat Tongue - in stock
Goat Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Goat Stomach - we would like to sell this if the processor will do it, the farmer will ask about that
Lamb Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Lamb Bones - in stock
Lamb Head (brains and eyes included) - there will more the next time the farmer processes lamb, and that will probably be in the spring
Lamb Heart - in stock
Lamb Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Lamb Kidneys - in stock
Lamb Liver - in stock
Lamb Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Lamb Meaty Shank Bone - there will more the next time the farmer processes lamb, and that will probably be in the spring
Lamb Tail - in stock
Lamb Testicles - there will more the next time the farmer processes lamb, and that will probably be in the spring
Lamb Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Lamb Stomach - we would like to sell this if the processor will do it, the farmer will ask about that

PORK

(shop for pork bones and organs here)

Pork Blood - not allowed by the USDA
Pork Bones - in stock
Pork Ears - back in stock probably in December
Pork Feet - in stock
Pork Head (brains and eyes included) - in stock
Pork Heart - back in stock probably in December
Pork Intestines - if we can convince the processor to do it, we will sell it
Pork Kidney - in stock
Pork Liver - in stock
Pork Lungs - the processor is looking into this
Pork Skin - in stock
Pork Stomach - the farmer is not interested in selling it
Pork Tail - back in stock probably in December
Pork Tongue - back in stock probably in December
Pork Spleen - the processor is looking into this
Smoked Pork Jowl - in stock

Pastured Meat

Raw milk or fermented dairy and lactose intolerance. Why might it help?

I was misinformed. At some point, I read that raw milk contains lactase. As it turns out, this is not true! It is true that raw milk contains many live enzymes that are inactivated during pasteurization. But, what about lactase? I’ve heard many anecdotal stories from people who are lactose intolerant... but can handle raw milk or fermented dairy. If raw milk, yogurt, kefir, or cheese doesn’t contain lactase, then why is that?

Our bone broth tested negative-ish for heavy metals 🥳 NATURAL AND CLEAN

Over the past few months a bunch of people asked us if we tested our bone broth for toxic heavy metals. When we get the same question a lot, we of course look into it. My first question was --- Is there an issue with toxic metals in bone broth? As it turns out, yes, there "can" be an issue! Heavy metals are naturally present in our environment. We need the "good" heavy metals to thrive: iron, zinc, magnesium, copper, etc. But, we can 100% do without the toxic heavy metals: arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, etc. Too many toxic heavy metals can lead to a host of pretty awful issues: nervous system damage, cardiovascular issues, cancer, endocrine disruption, kidney damage, and so on. Our body is designed to excrete heavy metals through urine (and a little bit through sweat, hair, and breastmilk too)... but only so much. There's a limit. If you're overloaded, your body will store those heavy metals in your bones, blood, tissues, and organs. Similarly, if an animal is exposed to heavy metals via food, water, air, dust, or soil, those heavy metals accumulate in the bones. Maybe the farm's soil or air is contaminated from a nearby factory. Maybe the pipes for the water has lead solder connecting them. Maybe the feed a farm is buying was grown on contaminated soil or processed on contaminated equipment. And, of course, a main purpose of bone broth is drawing out as much as possible from the bones. If there are heavy metals in bones, they will make their way into the broth. This is especially true when you pre-soak with apple cider vinegar and simmer for 48 hours to make it thick and gelatinous (like our broth). And that led me to my second question --- Should I be concerned about every bone broth? Where is the fear coming from? Well... it seems it might be a little political. There was a study done in the UK in 2013 that scared a lot of people. It's titled "The Risk of Lead Contamination in Bone Broth Diets". This study found high levels of lead in organic chicken bone broth, which is quite concerning. And, in fact, this one study is still cited in articles written today! Let's dig a little deeper. Let's go farther than the short abstract. Here are the broths tested in the study and their test results for lead: (9.5 parts per billion): Broth made from tap water plus skin and cartilage(7.01 parts per billion): Broth made from tap water plus bones(2.3 parts per billion): Broth made from tap water plus meat(0.89 parts per billion): Tap water alone cooked for the same amount of time as a control. But, they only used organic chicken from one farm. And, there's zero information about that farm, their practices, the feed, and the broth recipe. Did they use vinegar or wine in the broth? Was the chicken's water contaminated with lead? What was the quality of the feed and the soil? Were the chickens raised indoors or outdoors? So many unanswered questions! All we get is that it was one "organic chicken" that created a lead issue with broth. Another curious thing is that the broth with skin and cartilage contained more lead than the broth made with just bones. Bones are where lead is stored, so why wouldn't the broth made with bones only contain more lead? It's an odd result. Moreover, the abstract of the study specifically called out "bone broth diets" like GAPS and paleo. They even go so far as to write, "In view of the dangers of lead consumption to the human body, we recommend that doctors and nutritionists take the risk of lead contamination into consideration when advising patients about bone broth diets." That's quite curious. Why are they worried about these diets? Are the researchers anti healing through food? Who funded the research? Is it political? My opinion? This study is not comprehensive. It does not speak to all bone broths. But it does cover a potential issue if the water or animals are overloaded with heavy metals. What I glean from this study is that we need more research. We don't need fear to spread and people to stop drinking broth from this one study. Regardless of whether the fear was fabricated or legit, we tested our bone broth anyway. After all, it's always nice to validate that your food choices are as clean as you think. For Miller's, here were my concerns before testing: What if there's mercury in the fishmeal in our chicken feed?What if the soil that our animals live on is contaminated?What is the well water that the broth is made with is contaminated?What if the Celtic sea salt has lots of heavy metals? We got the test results back. I was super excited. But, I was also confused. At face value, it appeared that our bone broth tested NEGATIVE for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. You can find the test results right here! You'll notice that, for every sample, the results are "<0.01 mg/kg" and "<0.02 mg/kg". I asked the lab what the "<" means. They said that it indicates their limit of quantitation (LOQ), the lowest concentration that can be accurately tested using the test procedure in that sample type. So the results simply report that none of the metals tested were found in the sample above the specific reporting LOQs. Whether or not they were present below this LOQ is information that is not provided by the test. When talking to the lab, I told them what we needed and assumed that this test would go below a 1 ppb. So, when the results came in, I assumed that a "mg/kg" was the same as a part per billion (ppb). Ummm... that math wasn't write! A "mg/kg" is actually a part per million (ppm). That means that the test we ran had results saying that the broth had less than 0.02 ppm (or 20 ppb) of arsenic and lead. And, it had less than 0.01 ppm (or 10 ppb) of cadmium and mercury. For some reference, the EPA says that less than 15 ppb of lead is safe in drinking water. Not saying that I agree, but it's a good reference point. These results are good. It means the broth definitely isn't overloaded with toxic heavy metals. But, it's not good enough!!! We need to test again! We really need to a lower LOQ. We need to know the results with an accuracy of as low as 1 ppb. It looks like the lab we sent the original samples to doesn't have an LOQ that low. So here I am on the hunt for a lab to do it again. As soon as I can, I'll send samples in again and paying for more expensive testing to get the info you deserve. Stay tuned! I hope to have the new results in by the end of April 2025. Do you worry about toxic metals (or other junk) in your food? Where have your fears stemmed from? I'd love to hear from you. You can comment below (no account required) or contact us 😊 ----- Sources The risk of lead contamination in bone broth dietsBone Broth and Lead Toxicity: Should You Be Concerned?Bone Broth and Lead Contamination: A Very Flawed Study in Medical HypothesesBone Broth, Collagen, and Toxic Metals: A Research Review

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