What is meat washing? What are the natural options for natural processors?

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September 30, 2022

When you hear the term “meat washing”, what do you think?

I imagine putting some pork chops in the sink and scrubbing them with a sponge and soapy water. Or maybe tossing some T-bone steaks in the washing machine. Or vacuuming the roasts. Or mopping the hams. Just kidding. Nope, it’s none of those.

“Meat washing” is when you apply an antimicrobial agent to meat.

The reason the USDA requires this is to prevent the spread of potentially dangerous pathogens like e.Coli or salmonella.

Every meat processor needs to have a USDA-approved HAACP plan that includes every detail of their process, including which antimicrobial agents they’ll use to wash the meat. Changing this plan is time consuming and therefore costly.

*Side Note: Personally, I think this policy is a little extra when dealing with pasture raised animals in a state of natural health. However, the rules aren’t made for small farms like ours. They’re made for big ag, where animals are often raised indoors and require lots of chemical inputs to control microorganisms and create a safe environment.

The meat is not washed like you wash dishes or clothes or a floor. After slaughter, the carcasses are simply sprayed with an antimicrobial agent.

The USDA has a 41-page list of approved antimicrobial agents. Wow that’s a lot!

A grand majority of the approved products include highly processed, chemical ingredients like acetic acid, peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, sulfuric acid, Sodium hypochlorite (AKA chlorine), salmonella bacteriophage, sodium benzoate, and dextrose.

If you research more, you’ll find that there are potentially negative health consequences from exposure to these substances. Just take chlorine for example. Even the CDC says that, if chlorine is ingested, you should seek medical attention or call 911 immediately. There is no known antidote for chlorine exposure.

OK OK OK, that was fairly extreme. Let’s take a step back and put it into perspective.

It’s not like when you eat meat washed in chlorine, you’re downing a cup of chlorine bleach. It’s in trace amounts.

But, what if everything you ate and put on your body and breathed in had trace amounts of poisonous chemicals? Well, it would not be trace amounts anymore. It would build up and likely cause chronic disease in the future.

Perhaps this is one reason why Americans are overall unhealthy…?

And then, beyond our own health, there’s the health of the environment. If we’re using these chemicals when processing meat, they’ll eventually make their way into the water supply and affect the microbiology, plants, and animals in the surrounding areas.

However, there’s a glimmer of hope. If you read the list closely, there are some more natural ingredients listed. And, that’s what our processors use.

We are happy to announce that all of our grass-fed beef and corn & soy-free pork are now washed in organic apple cider vinegar. All of our pastured soy-free and corn-free chicken is air chilled, meaning it's washed in nothing at all! And, the turkey is washed in water and only water.

Miller’s Bio Farm aims to produce ethically produced, all natural products to the best of our ability. We understand that we live within a system bigger than just our farm. It can be challenging to find the right partners. We are thankful and lucky that we have such amazing natural farmers and processors in our area that are pushing the movement forward to support your health.

You might be wondering about washing meat at home. Would that help reduce microbial contamination? Nope, it doesn’t.

Many people rinse chicken or other meats in their sink. Washing meat in water can remove slime or particles on the surface, but it does not kill bacteria. In fact, it’s likely that you’ll increase bacteria in your kitchen due to cross-contamination and splashing onto your counter or floors or other surfaces.

Salt brining meat is another way of washing meat at home. It’s awesome for adding flavor and allowing the meat to retain more flavor. But, again, it doesn’t kill bacteria.

And one more thought…

This is a complex issue with many things to consider - food safety, human health, animal well being, the environment, profitability, a growing population and more mouths to feed, and so on. What’s written here is simply my perspective, one in a huge ocean of perspectives.

What do you think? Does how meat is washed matter to you? What are your hopes for the future of food?

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

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Bah Bird Flu. About raw milk safety and why we we're not worried.

*DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor or a scientist. I'm a passionate real food consumer that loves research and learning new things. Sources are listed at the very bottom. -----Did you hear the news? Raw Farm USA, a raw milk supplier in California, was shut down last week. Why? Because bird flu (in some capacity) was detected in their milk.Wow! This is getting serious. Bird flu is not longer just a worry but something that's being enforced. As you know, we take milk safety very seriously at Miller's Bio Farm. It's our goal to produce an ultra low risk product for you. And, with the proper farming practices and safety standards, we believe raw milk can be a nourishing and healthy and safe food. First off, our cows are fed a natural diet of 100% grass and spend a lot of time exercising outside in the fresh air and sunshine. This keeps them naturally happy and healthy. No need for routine drugs or anything like that. Health problems are rare. Second, we have small herds of max 50 cows per farmer. This allows the farmer to keep a close eye on their cows. They can detect any issues quickly. Third, we have meticulous practices for milk safety. This includes making the udders and teats free of manure and dirt, cleaning with extra hot water (nearly boiling), using acid sanitizers for equipment, and having a fully stainless steel piped system for bottling milk. We go above and beyond what's simply "required" as a raw milk producer in PA. Not only do we hold a raw milk permit and go through the required inspections and tests, we also test every batch of milk on site for general bacteria counts. This ensures we are cleaning well and there aren't any big issues. But... When it comes to bird flu, we're simply not worried. I've tried to dig in and find something of real concern. But, I can't. From what I've read, there's simply no scientific basis for the vilification of raw milk as it relates to bird flu. Here are the three biggest points: 1- There have been zero cases of bird flu linked to raw milk consumption. Of the 58 total cases of bird flu in humans in the US this year, none have been linked to raw milk consumption. All have been dairy workers who are believed to got it through direct contact with poultry and cattle [1]. So why the worry? Why the hubbub? Why require testing and shut farms down? It's as if the powers at be are desperately trying to find a connection, to find the first case. In fact, this past Wednesday, there were dozens of articles that came out saying a child in California tested positive for bird flu and it's linked to raw milk. An hour later, articles came out saying the child in fact tested negative. But, that bad press was already out there and likely won't be edited. I don't understand how enforcement can be allowed when there's no proof to justify it. 2- Testing for bird flu in milk detects fragments of the dead virus, which doesn't necessarily mean the virus can infect milk drinkers. This month, the USDA enacted a new federal order that requires raw milk samples to be collected and shared with the USDA for testing. This includes both raw milk intended for pasteurization or intended to be sold as raw milk. If there's a positive test, the USDA can track those animals [2]. But, what are they testing for exactly? Well, the qPCR tests are looking for RNA fragments that belong to the virus. It doesn't mean the virus in the milk is intact or can actually infect anyone. This leads me to a question --- did any of the RNA fragments match viruses other than bird flu? Well, I don't know. But I assume they could, since bird flu is a strain on influenza, and we all know how many strains of the flu there are! Then, they do an egg inoculation test. The viral fragments are injected into an egg. If the virus replicates and grows, then the sample is considered to contain "live virus". If it doesn't, then it's considered safe, having only "dead virus" [3]. 3- Raw milk is innately antiviral. It inhibits the growth of viruses both in the milk as well as in your body. There's a pretty awesome study from 1987 that tests the growth of rotavirus and coronavirus in raw vs. pasteurized milk. It's so simple, it would be hard to misread the results. It found that, when a virus is added to raw milk, there was zero viral growth. Did you get that? Zero viral growth. But, when the same virus is added the pasteurized milk, 30-80% of the live virus was recovered depending on the level of inoculation [4]. This means that the synergistic properties of raw milk do not allow viral growth within the milk. Raw milk kills viruses in it. Pasteurized milk breeds them (of course this would be after pasteurization). Wow! Moreover, there's a systematic review from 2023 that looks at dozens of studies on the antiviral properties that drinking raw milk gives to the consumer. It found over and over again that there are bioactive compounds in raw milk that, when consumed, stop viral entry, block replication, and inactivate viruses [5]. So, science says that raw milk not only kills viruses within it but, when you drink raw milk, it can also help you fight viruses in your body. Another wow! It seems to me that most of the bird flu drama might be political...? Did you know the USDA commissioned Moderna to develop a bovine bird flu vaccine in July [6]? In fact, they started field trials this fall [7]. It seems that a warp speed bird flu vaccine for cows is just about to be released. That timing! The "powers at be" continue to repeat that "the milk supply is safe" and "pasteurization kills the virus." But, after COVID, I think we might know what repetitive phrases like that mean. Could there be an agenda? Are you worried about bird flu? What's your take on the situation? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below -- no account required, start typing for the guest option to appear 😊PS: The media sure does a good job of instilling fear. We understand that you may not have the same viewpoint as the farm. You might be hesitant about raw milk right now. That's 100% OK. This is why we offer both raw and minimally pasteurized milk. The choice is yours! ----- Sources Is Raw Milk Safe? Officials Ramp Up Testing Amid Bird Flu OutbreakUSDA orders nationwide testing of milk for bird flu to halt the virus1 in 5 milk samples from grocery stores test positive for bird flu. Why the FDA says it’s still safe to drinkAntiviral Substances in Raw Bovine Milk Active Against Bovine Rotavirus and CoronavirusMilk Antiviral Proteins and Derived Peptides against ZoonosesFeds prepare for bird flu jump to people with vaccines, testsUSDA Builds on Actions to Protect Livestock and Public Health from H5N1 Avian InfluenzaBird Flu and Raw Milk: Where is the Evidence?

Thanks for clean food! Want to send some love to our team?

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving week filled with clean nourishing foods and people you care about 🥰 As I reflect on what I'm thankful for, I was reminded of an email we got last week from a fairly new customer. Here's what it said: ----- "Hi, I've been a customer for a couple of months now, and I wanted to send a quick note of appreciation for your amazing products AND your organization. "I have many food and chemical sensitivities, and it has been a multi-year battle to find food I can actually eat, even with the prevalence of Whole Foods and other organic markets in my area. Everything I've tried from your website has been fantastic, and above all I appreciate your total transparency when it comes to animal feed, production methods, etc. I've learned about all kinds of things I need to watch out for in grocery stores, and I would have considered myself a well-educated consumer! "But beyond that, I'd like to compliment your business model — the website is easy to use, your workflow appears to be incredibly efficient, and I know how much work that takes behind the scenes. "Keep up the great work!" ----- I mean, how wonderful was that!? Reading it made me so happy. I immediately forwarded it along to the team to brighten the day. After all, everyone who works with Miller's Bio Farm has lots of hard work to do to get you your food. This got me thinking... wouldn't it be nice to give to give a little something back to the Miller's team this Thanksgiving? What if we compiled a list of thank you notes to share? You with me? Want to express your thanks? I'm making it as easy as possible. Simply leave a comment below. It could be something in general. It could relate to a certain product that you love. It could be to the farmers. It could be to the packing or customer team. It could be to the driver who delivers your order. Hey, it could even be to our website, which also does a lot of work taking your orders! ⬇️ Comment below ⬇️ Our team would LOVE to hear from you. I'll share every single comment with everyone at Miller's the week after Thanksgiving 😊 *No account required -- start typing for the guest option to appear.

Your gut. Is the perfect synergistic probiotic a pill or fermented food?

*Warning: I'm not a doctor and I don't have any degrees in nutrition. This is my opinion on the topic. Last weekend, Aaron and I went to the Documenting Hope's conference in Orlando. It was for both parents and doctors who are helping kids heal from chronic illnesses... in a holistic way. It's such an important cause that aligns perfectly with our tagline "Inspiring Health Generations". We had a table and loved feeding everyone yummy and pure snacks. I also had the pleasure of attending some of the talks. One of my favorite talks was from Star Edwards MS, RDN/LD titled "Where's Bifido? Missing Bifidobacterium, Impact on Child Health, and Restoration Strategies⁠". It was all about gut health and balance and its affects on the immune system, the brain, and overall wellbeing. One thing that really stuck with me were the warnings about probiotic pills. First off, probiotic pills are super potent. They can completely throw off the balance in your gut. Star advised people to get tested for what's actually in their gut first. This is so you can know which strains are too low or high. Then, you can determine the right probiotic pill to correct any issues. And then, you want to get tested again 6-8 weeks later to make sure those little pills had the desired effect. Second, probiotic pills need to be formulated properly. If they're not, then "probiotic" strains can compete with each other and cancel each other out. Then, they're not doing you any good at all. Wow! This got me thinking about balance in nature and in living things and therefore our gut and our food. It made me wonder -- Would fermented food naturally be in balance? Would eating fermented foods be better than taking probiotic pills? After all, they're living things and we're living things. So of course I did some research. And I mean there are A LOT of studies on probiotics and gut health. But, it seems that science is conflicted when it comes to probiotics. Here are a few reasons why: It's the same story as any FDA-approved product. The companies do the studies (and lots of them) that prove their product is superior. They set the parameters and goals to achieve the desired result. It's hard to determine which studies are unbiased.The limits for whether something is considered "probiotic" or not is set by the FDA. And the bar is set for probiotic pills that seek approval. The limits are so high that, by those standards, fermented foods don't meet the regulatory criteria to be considered "probiotic".Gut health is a holistic approach to health, which is hard to prove with modern science. Every body is different and will react differently. Every person has a different diet, sleep habits, exercise routine, etc. There are too many variables to conclude definitive health outcomes based on probiotics in the gut alone. Although science in conflicted on which kinds of probiotics are best and the precise benefits of each, there are a couple things there is scientific consensus on: Eating probiotics (whether in pill or food form) alters the microbiology of your gut.The balance of gut microbiology directly relates to your health and wellbeing. So... back to the main topic. Are fermented foods more synergistic than probiotic pills? Since science is kinda out on this one, I think we need to rely on our gut instinct (pun intended) to make the best choice for ourselves. So I'll tell you my perspective. I personally believe in a more ancestral way of eating. How about you? 200 years ago everyone ate pure food (without weird chemicals or additives). Everyone cooked. The soil was packed with nutrients and regenerated by nature. And... people fermented food. If not eaten immediately, many foods will ferment naturally. It's why we have cheese, kefir, yogurt, salami, sourdough bread, kombucha, etc. Humans found that they could still eat it... and it tasted pretty yummy too. And maybe most importantly it helped preserve food over winters and for travel. But... fermented foods were only considered edible if they tasted good. If the microbiology in a fermented food is out of whack, it just doesn't taste good. That's when bad molds and other weird stuff grows. That's when our body's response is to spit it out! In other words, fermented foods need to be in balance microscopically. And they need to align with our taste buds. So, in the most natural and ancestral way, I believe that fermented foods that you think are yummy must be the most synergistic way to boost and balance your gut microbiology. How is your gut health? Do you do anything in particular to help keep your gut in balance? Have you noticed any changes after working on your gut? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below ⬇️