Trans Fat in Beef

I was reading the nutrition label for the ground beef (it’s actually ground chuck, slightly leaner than ground beef- 80% lean)that I eat on a daily basis and found that it contains 1.5g of trans fat per 4oz serving.

I usually eat 8oz of this stuff each day, which translates to 3g of trans fat each day.

Two questions:
a) How the heck did trans fat get in my beef? There’s no hydrogenation involved in slaughtering a cow and grinding the bejeesus out of it’s body and organs, is there?

b) Is this amount under an acceptable level? I’m thinking it is, but I figured I’d run it past the faceless masses of the internets as well to get a second opinion.

I have no idea how it’s made in beef but everything I’ve read says it’s a natural component of animal meat.

For perspective; one serving of poutine fries at BK has 11g of trans fat, one medium hashbrowns has 10g.

I’ve wondered the same myself.

trans-fats do occur in nature (milk is an example), looks like beef is as well

I’m not sure if it’s any more harmful than man-made, but I wouldn’t worry about it too much

perhaps select even leaner

[quote]Otep wrote:
I was reading the nutrition label for the ground beef (it’s actually ground chuck, slightly leaner than ground beef- 80% lean)that I eat on a daily basis and found that it contains 1.5g of trans fat per 4oz serving.

I usually eat 8oz of this stuff each day, which translates to 3g of trans fat each day.

Two questions:
a) How the heck did trans fat get in my beef? There’s no hydrogenation involved in slaughtering a cow and grinding the bejeesus out of it’s body and organs, is there?

b) Is this amount under an acceptable level? I’m thinking it is, but I figured I’d run it past the faceless masses of the internets as well to get a second opinion.[/quote]

It seems to be a combination of diet in dairy animals and vaccenic acid, a class of trans fat… it occurs naturally in trace amounts in meat and dairy products from ruminants.

Ruminants has to do with the way in which some animals digest there food in two steps. first they eat the raw material and then regurgitating a semi-digested form known as cud from within their first stomach to the second one…

Weird.

With all the corn feed to cattle It is raising the level of the trans fat… Just look at the difference in reg feed cows and Bison… Both use the same digestion but bison is not corn feed… at all… same is true of grass feed cattle if you can find any that is feed only grass as most will say grass feed but will feed corn at the end to fatten up the cow for Slaughter…

[quote]Otep wrote:
I was reading the nutrition label for the ground beef (it’s actually ground chuck, slightly leaner than ground beef- 80% lean)that I eat on a daily basis and found that it contains 1.5g of trans fat per 4oz serving.

I usually eat 8oz of this stuff each day, which translates to 3g of trans fat each day.

Two questions:
a) How the heck did trans fat get in my beef? There’s no hydrogenation involved in slaughtering a cow and grinding the bejeesus out of it’s body and organs, is there?

b) Is this amount under an acceptable level? I’m thinking it is, but I figured I’d run it past the faceless masses of the internets as well to get a second opinion.[/quote]

They can turn up naturally in beef and milk, I know it happens in milk through rumination a process that happens in the rumen of the cow, not sure how it occurs in the meat though, it’s usually in trace amounts though.

Trans fats cause Old Person Smell.

Here’s a document from the FDA concerning the labelling of ‘naturally occuring’ Trans Fats in meats:

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/DOCKETS/dailys/04/June04/062204/03N-0076-emc00225-01.pdf

From the paper:

Development of a joint DV for saturated and trans fats. As well as the use of the same approach that the 2003 report recommended for establishing a DV for trans fats to establish a new DV for saturated fat that would then be added to the DV for trans fats to establish a new combined DV, or, alternatively, to establish a joint DV for saturated and trans fats - in the case that joint DV for saturated and trans fat is pursued.

[i]NCBA cannot support recommendations for a joint or combined DV unless other naturally occurring trans fats are exempted from labeling. The impetus behind development of a joint or combined DV for saturated and trans fats is

Because of their propensity to raise blood cholesterol levels. However, naturally occurring trans fats, such as those
found in beef and dairy foods, are not harmful and in fact, may be beneficial to health.[/i]

So trans-fats DO occur naturally in animal products due to the four-stomached system of cows and other ruminents? Weird.

But cool.

I really appreciate all the responses. It seems that it’s a non-issue, both due to it’s particular type of trans-fat and to it’s small amount.

CLA is a trans-fat.

[quote]Otep wrote:
I was reading the nutrition label for the ground beef (it’s actually ground chuck, slightly leaner than ground beef- 80% lean)that I eat on a daily basis and found that it contains 1.5g of trans fat per 4oz serving.

I usually eat 8oz of this stuff each day, which translates to 3g of trans fat each day.

Two questions:
a) How the heck did trans fat get in my beef? There’s no hydrogenation involved in slaughtering a cow and grinding the bejeesus out of it’s body and organs, is there?

b) Is this amount under an acceptable level? I’m thinking it is, but I figured I’d run it past the faceless masses of the internets as well to get a second opinion.[/quote]

You do know that CLA is a trans-fat? (a naturally-occuring one nonetheless) Im sure you well aware of the benefits of CLA so no need to point that at to ya:)

There is a difference between naturally occurring trans-fats and man-made ones like Crisco, etc.

The way I understand it, the naturally occurring ones are harmless plus they are in such small quantities.

Read this.

Naturally occurring trans fats are good for you.