By Andi Anderson
The global grass-fed beef market, valued at $15.56 billion, is projected to grow to $21.23 billion by 2035. However, a lack of standardized testing in the U.S. makes it difficult to confirm whether meat labeled as “grass-fed” truly meets that standard.
To address this, Lucas Krusinski, assistant professor in Cal Poly Pomona’s Animal and Veterinary Science Department, is leading research to improve beef authentication methods and strengthen labeling transparency.
Krusinski and his team—including collaborators from Michigan State University, Chapman University, and Utah State University—are developing advanced scientific tools to distinguish between grass-fed, grass-finished, and grain-fed beef. Their goal is to protect ranchers who invest in higher-cost, pasture-based production and ensure consumers are not misled by inconsistent labeling.
“Labeling is tricky and just confusing consumers because most think grass-fed and grass-finished mean the same thing,” Krusinski explained. “Technically all cattle are grass-fed for most of their life, but grass-finished means they also spent their final months on pasture.”
Since the USDA’s 2016 decision to allow voluntary grass-fed labeling, many products have entered the market with little verification. To close that gap, the research team analyzed ribeye samples from cattle raised on different diets—including grape-supplemented feed, grain, and 100% grass-finished systems—using metabolomics, fatty acid profiling, and gene expression analysis.
The study identified over 200 compounds that could differentiate feeding practices. Grass-finished beef contained higher levels of beneficial nutrients, such as Vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, and organic acids. Using this data, researchers achieved a 90.4% predictive accuracy in identifying meat origins, correctly distinguishing 100% of grass-finished beef samples.
The findings, published in Food Frontiers, mark a breakthrough in developing reliable, science-based verification tools for the beef industry. Krusinski’s team is now expanding its work to test how alternative feeds and byproducts affect beef composition.
Their ultimate goal is to create fast, affordable testing methods that can be widely adopted—protecting ranchers’ reputations, ensuring honest labeling, and giving consumers confidence that their “grass-fed” steak is exactly what it claims to be.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-sstajic
Categories: Michigan, Livestock