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Heritage Cattle Products

The meat, milk, cheeses, and other products that come from Heritage Cattle are tasty and delicious and may afford some health benefits. It’s important for the consumer to know and understand the definition of Heritage Cattle, but also what criteria products must meet to use the "Heritage" label.

Heritage Cattle Products must come from:

  • Heritage Cattle only (see definition)
  • Herds with ongoing breed selection practices for longevity, fertility, and productivity
  • Herds that follow sustainable management practices that provide for animal well-being

    ~ diets that are all plant-based, and primarily forage-based.
    ~ raised primarily in open, pasture or range, environments. This specifically excludes total confinement operations.
    ~ free from routine prophylactic antibiotics.
    ~ free from administered synthetic or natural growth promoters or growth hormones.
    ~ humanely slaughtered.

 

A. Definition of Heritage Beef Products:
Beef animals and their products marketed as Heritage Beef must:

  • Be produced from the mating of registered, purebred parent stock.
    ~ This allows for the sale as Heritage of those offspring that are produced by mating registered animals of two different Heritage breeds.
  • Include the name of the breed of that animal on the label, or the two Heritage breeds used in crossbred production.

B. Definition of Heritage Milk or Heritage Milk Products:
Milk marketed as Heritage Milk must:

  • Be exclusively from animals that have been produced from the mating of registered, purebred parent stock.
    ~ This allows for the sale as Heritage of milk from those offspring that are produced by mating registered animals of two different Heritage breeds.
  • Include the name(s) of the breed(s) of the animals on product label.

Products made with Heritage Milk:

  • Must be made exclusively with Heritage Milk to use Heritage in the product name.
  • As an ingredient may use “Made with Heritage Milk” on the label but cannot use Heritage in the product title, and the label must state the percentage of milk from each Heritage breed.
  • Must include the name(s) of the breed(s) of the animals on product label.

 

Terms like “heirloom,” “antique,” old-fashioned,” and “old timey” imply heritage and are understood to be synonymous with the definition provided here.

Links


Definition of Heritage Cattle

Heritage Cattle Breeds

Heritage Cattle Products

Download Press Info

Frequently Asked Questions

Where to Find Heritage Cattle and Their Products

Additional Resources

 

Beef Tasting Compares Ten Heritage Breeds – article

Super Natural Milk

Is Milk From Grass-fed Cows More Heart Healthy?

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