Organic Prairie Frequently Asked Questions

Organic Prairie® Uncured Hardwood Smoked Pork Bacon and Turkey Bacon

What makes Organic Prairie's Uncured Hardwood Smoked Bacon organic?

Healthful, wholesome and humanely raised Organic Prairie fresh and frozen uncured hardwood smoked bacon is produced by cooperative family farmers working in harmony with nature.

• Our farmer-owned cooperative has been producing organic meats since 1997, according to practices that meet and often exceed USDA's National Organic Standards www.ams.usda.gov/nop, giving us confidence in saying we represent the gold-standard in organic meat production.
• Our certified organic farms are annually inspected annually by independent third party agencies.
• Organic Prairie farmers never use antibiotics, synthetic hormones, or synthetic pesticides in production. For turkeys, organic management starts the first day out of the egg, and for hogs it starts during the last third of gestation.
• During their entire lives our organic birds and hogs receive only 100% certified organic feed, grown without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides for a minimum of three years.
• Organic turkeys are allowed to express natural behaviors such as scratching and hunting for bugs, and have regular access to the outdoors.
• Organic hogs and are never confined and have regular access to the outdoors. They are bedded in organic straw with plenty of room to move around and express the natural behaviors of hogs.
• We prohibit use of cloned livestock on our farms, and our animals are fed only certified organic feed and no genetically modified organisms (GMO's).
• All spices and ingredients used are approved for organic processing by the USDA's National Organic Program and certified organic whenever possible.

What are the health benefits of eating Organic Prairie's Uncured Hardwood Smoked Pork Bacon and Turkey Bacon?

• Eating organic pork and turkey is an excellent way to minimize risk of exposure to antibiotics, synthetic pesticides and hormones, as well as the harmful bacteria that are more likely to be found in meat produced in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO's).
• Organic Prairie uncured hardwood smoked bacon is produced without synthetic nitrates or nitrites.
• Organic turkey is very good source of high density, low fat protein produced without added potentially harmful chemicals – bacon made from organic turkey offers a delicious, lowfat alternative to traditional pork bacon.
• Organic turkey is a good source of selenium, zinc, niacin, Vitamin E, betacarotene, and Vitamins B6 and B12.
• Meat products from turkeys allowed access to the outdoors has 21% less total fat, 30% less saturated fat, 28% fewer calories, 50% more vitamin A, and 100% more omega-3 fatty acid than from turkey not allowed outdoor access (USDA Sustainable Agriculture & Research Education Program).
• Organic pork is an excellent source of high density protein, and provides six essential vitamins: Thiamin, 65% RDA, Riboflavin, 22% RDA, Niacin, 47% RDA, Vitamin B6, 24% RDA, Vitamin B12, 38% RDA, and Pantothenate, 10% RDA, and four important minerals: Phosphorous, 22% RDA, Magnesium, 10% RDA, Iron, 9% RDA, and Zinc, 36% RDA.

For more information on the health benefits of eating organic turkey see the Health & Nutrition links in the Resource Section at www.organicvalley.coop.

How does Organic Prairie manage animal health?

The foundation of Organic Prairie's organic livestock production is maintaining strong, healthy animals with low stress and robust immune systems. Our turkeys and hogs are raised and our meats are produced without use of antibiotics, and synthetic hormones or pesticides. Our farmers practice preventative medicine and natural remedies so that antibiotics and hormones are not needed in the first place. Further, we have within our cooperative some of the nation's foremost experts in holistic animal husbandry, and traditional and organic veterinary medicine, who we offer to our farmer members as a resource.

Are organic turkey and pork safe?

Organic meat is the safest choice because it comes from healthy animals raised on healthy land.

• Our regularly audited practices lead to superior health and living conditions for our organic turkeys and hogs, a primary component in food safety.
• All Organic Prairie meats are processed at federally inspected plants which are certified for organic production by a third party organic certifier accredited by the National Organic Program of the USDA.
• We visit and audit all plants regularly to ensure they meet our strict quality standards, and in addition, each plant undergoes a third party audit for Animal Welfare and Good Manufacturing Processes to ensure a safe and humane processing environment.
• Each lot of our product undergoes rigorous microbial testing far beyond that required by the USDA before shipping to ensure it meets our own quality standards.
• Each unit of Organic Prairie meat is traceable back to a lot. Each lot is traceable back to the farms of origin, and the Farm Plan required by the National Organic Program allows the specific animals included in the lot to be identified and traced back to hatching or birth.

Why is our Uncured Hardwood Smoked Pork Bacon and Turkey Bacon described as "uncured?"

USDA's definition of "cured" meats are those to which synthetic nitrates and nitrites have been added in the form of sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. When those synthetic nitrates and nitrites are not used, the meat must be labeled "uncured."

Organic Prairie Uncured Hardwood Smoked Turkey Bacon and Pork Bacon are "cured," but with a process that uses the nitrates naturally present in celery juice powder, a lactic acid starter culture, and sea salt. During the old-fashioned process of wood-smoking, the naturally occurring nitrates in the celery juice are converted to nitrites through a lactic acid fermentation process.

Nitrites, naturally occurring or synthetic, serve a vital public health function of blocking the growth of dangerous bacteria in processed meats, and give "cured" meats their characteristic color and flavor.

What is the difference between "organic" and "natural" meats?

It is a common misconception that "natural" meats are the same thing as "organic" meats. This is not the case. Significant differences exist between them. Certified organic farms are required to follow the strict standards of USDA's National Organic Program. The organic certification process is the "guarantee" to consumers these rules are being followed. Additionally, our cooperative inspects the farms of our members for compliance with our pasturing requirements which exceed USDA standards.

What are good uses for Organic Prairie Uncured Hardwood Smoked Bacon?

Organic Prairie Uncured Hardwood Smoked Pork Bacon and Turkey Bacon make delicious breakfasts, and wonderful BLT sandwiches or bacon cheeseburgers. Our Uncured Turkey Bacon, made from organic dark turkey meat, offers consumers the choice of a delicious alternative to traditional pork bacon that is lower in fat.

What does the "freeze by" date mean?

The "freeze by" date is the date by which it is safe to freeze a fresh meat product for later use. Thawed meat should be used immediately.

What varieties of Organic Prairie Uncured Hardwood Smoked Bacon are available?

Fresh

• Uncured Hardwood Smoked Pork Bacon, 8 oz.
• Uncured Hardwood Smoked Turkey Bacon, 8 oz.

Frozen

• Uncured Hardwood Smoked Pork Bacon, 8 oz.
• Uncured Hardwood Smoked Turkey Bacon, 8 oz.

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