Eating organic will take much of the guesswork out of selecting healthy meats - at least as far as chemicals go. It's no wonder that plant-based diets are generally found to promote better health. If you currently eat "natural" or conventionally-raised meats, consider this:

Bison meat (buffalo) is is a healthier option when purchasing non-organic meat. The USDA does not allow hormones or antibiotics in bison. Avoid processed meats including hot dogs, sausages, bacon, and cold cuts.

Some other things to look for are "free range", "naturally raised", and "grass fed". Improved meat quality can be inferred from these statements. But with that said, they require further explanation since they are better classified as marketing claims rather than USDA standards. This, along with the meanings and stipulations behind the USDA standards, makes describing beef quality somewhat convoluted. Perhaps the highest quality meat you can find would be described as organic, pasture raised or free-range, grass fed, and grass finished.

The standards set by the USDA for the raising and processing of meat include the following (applies to fresh meat, not processed):

Type of Meat	Hormones OK	Antibiotics OK	Additives OK	Irradiation OK
Beef	yes	yes	no	yes
Chicken	no	yes	no	yes
Turkey	no	yes	no	yes
Duck/ goose	no	yes, but rare	no	no
Lamb	yes	yes	no	yes
Bison (buffalo)	no	no	unknown	unknown
Organic (any)	no	no	no	no

At the time of this 2016 update, genetically engineered (GE) salmon was recently approved for sale in Canada, and in the U.S. pending FDA labeling requirements. Unfortunately it has already been shown that genetically modified crops have detrimental effects on health and the environment. For example - it has been proven through independent studies that GMO strains of corn cause cancer in humans and animals. GMO crops have also resulted in DNA pollution of non-GMO varieties and soil contamination. The best way to protect your health against unhealthy forms of processing and unproven science is to eat organic.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR	WHAT TO AVOID
Organic If organic is not available, look for no growth hormones and antibiotics Grass-fed or vegetarian diet is better than grain-fed since the meat contains high omega-3s, but lower saturated fat (beef) Free range (poultry) or pasture-raised Buffalo	GE / GMO meats Processed meats (contain high levels of nitrates and other additives) Conventionally raised meats of any kind

With regards to eggs, not all organic eggs are created equal! A watchdog organization called The Cornucopia Institute did an analysis on the integrity of producers to expose those potentially violating organic standards. The full report is available at http://www.cornucopia.org/organic-egg-scorecard/. Find out here how your organic eggs rate.

Meat Alternatives

Meat alternatives such as veggie burgers are especially likely to contain multiple ingredients which are less than wholesome. This Cornucopia Guide can help you select options which are free of the dangerous chemical hexane.

Source: CDC, 2008 Parasitic Disease Information
Source: NY Times, 2012 Arsenic in our Chicken?
Source: Courthouse News Service, 2013 FDA Approves Three Meat Preservatives
Source: EWG, 2013 Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets