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Why Grass Fed Matters

'Grass fed' usually means cattle, sheep, goats or dairy animals are fed mainly or entirely on grass, pasture or forage rather than grain based diets & this impacts your diet.

What Grass Fed Means

In the UK, Pasture for Life says animals only need 51 percent of their diet to be grass based to be labelled grass fed under Defra rules, while its certification guarantees animals have been raised on 100 percent pasture. This is why shoppers should check whether a grass fed claim is certified, self described or explained clearly by the supplier.

The Term ‘Grass Fed’ is most often used for ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep, because these animals are naturally able to digest grass and forage. In practical terms, grass fed beef, grass fed lamb or grass fed dairy usually suggests that animals have been raised on a diet based around grass, pasture, hay, silage or other forage crops.
However, the phrase is not always used in the same way.
One producer may use grass fed to mean animals are mostly grazing during the growing season but receive some supplementary feed at certain times of year. Another may use it to mean animals are fed entirely on pasture and forage for life. A certified producer may follow a defined standard, while another may use the term as a general farm description.
That is why the detail matters – For BFFD, grass fed should not be treated as a vague selling point. It should be explained through supplier profiles, food provenance, product descriptions, farming systems and buying information.
A honeybee feeding on a pink clover flower
Leafy tree beside a grassy field under a blue sky

Why Grass Fed Matters

Grass fed matters because more shoppers want to understand how animals are raised and what they are fed.
Food terms carry meaning. When someone searches for grass fed beef, grass fed lamb or grass fed milk, they are usually looking for more than a product. They are looking for a farming system, a standard, a story and a level of trust.
For producers, grass based systems can involve careful grazing, pasture management, seasonal planning, livestock knowledge and land stewardship. If that work is being done properly, it deserves to be explained properly.
For shoppers, grass fed food can feel more connected to land, pasture, animal diet and farming practice. But it is only meaningful if the supplier explains what the claim means.
This is where BFFD can help. A strong BFFD listing can give grass fed producers space to explain their animals, land, diet, certification, availability, meat box options, collection details and seasonal differences.

Grass Fed, Pasture Fed and Pasture Raised

Grass fed, pasture fed and pasture raised are often confused.

GRASS FED

Grass fed usually focuses on diet. It suggests that animals eat mainly or entirely grass and forage. HOWEVER do not be fooled by this term, animals may still not have a great existence and still be fed grass related food stuffs. 

PASTURE FED

Pasture fed is often used in a more specific way, especially where certification is involved. Pasture for Life certification guarantees that an animal has been raised on 100 percent pasture.

Pasture Raised

Pasture raised usually focuses on access to pasture and outdoor living. It can apply to different animals, including poultry and livestock, but the exact meaning can vary depending on the supplier and product. This is possibly the best term to look for on your food packaging. 

Two lambs standing beside a sheep in a field
Aerial view of small fields divided by hedges

Is Grass Fed a Legal Term in the UK?

Grass fed claims need careful explanation because shoppers may assume the phrase always means 100 percent grass fed.

Pasture for Life states that under Defra rules, animals only need 51 percent of their diet to be grass based to be labelled as grass fed. The same organisation says its certification mark allows UK farmers to guarantee that animals have been raised on 100 percent pasture. 

That distinction is important!

A product may be described as grass fed without being 100 percent pasture fed. This does not automatically make the claim misleading, but it does mean shoppers should look for more detail.

Useful details include:

 

  • Whether the claim is certified
  • How much of the diet is grass or forage
  • Whether grain or concentrate feed is used
  • Whether animals are pasture fed for life
  • Which farm produced the animal
  • How the supplier explains its system

 

For BFFD, this is exactly the kind of clarity supplier profiles should help provide.

Grass Fed and Certification

Certification can help remove doubt.

Pasture for Life describes its certification as a standard for best practice that guarantees an animal has been raised on 100 percent pasture. Farms certify animals and retailers can become approved to sell certified produce.

A Greener World’s Certified Grassfed programme also says it applies to dairy and beef cattle, sheep and goats, and that products come from animals fed a 100 percent grass and forage diet, raised outdoors on pasture and managed according to welfare and environmental standards.
Not every producer will be certified, and some uncertified farms may still use strong grass based systems. The key is explanation. Certification is useful because it gives shoppers a defined standard. Without certification, suppliers should explain the system clearly.
Glass jug filled with milk on a wooden table

The Important Grass Fed Foods To Look For

Pasture for Life certified meat

A producer uses certification to show that animals are raised on 100 percent pasture.

Grass fed dairy

Milk or dairy comes from a herd whose diet is based around grass and forage, with the supplier explaining how the system works

Grass fed lamb

Sheep graze on pasture and forage, with seasonal availability, meat box options and collection details made clear.

Grass fed beef

Cattle are raised on a diet based mainly or entirely on grass, pasture, hay or silage, with the supplier explaining the system and any certification.
A honeybee collecting pollen from white blossom

Grass Fed and Food Labelling

Food descriptions should not mislead shoppers but unfortunately they do.

The Food Standards Agency says country of origin or place of provenance must be stated where failing to do so could mislead consumers. GOV.UK food information guidance also explains that businesses need to provide accurate food information to consumers.
The same principle matters for production claims. If wording, imagery or branding creates a strong impression about how food is produced, the supplier should be able to explain and support that impression.
For shoppers, the safest approach is to look for clear supplier details, certification where relevant and plain English explanations.
For suppliers, the best approach is to be specific. “Grass fed” is helpful, but “100 percent pasture fed and certified by Pasture for Life” or “grass based system with supplementary winter feed” gives customers a much clearer understanding.

The Presumptions surrounding the term 'grass fed'

  • Grass fed does not always mean 100 percent grass fed
  • Some grass fed claims may allow a diet that is mainly grass based, rather than entirely pasture based. Pasture for Life says its certification guarantees animals have been raised on 100 percent pasture.
  • Grass fed is not the same as pasture raised
  • Grass fed focuses mainly on diet. Pasture raised focuses more on outdoor access and time on pasture.
  • Grass fed does not automatically mean organic
  • Organic is a separate certified system with its own standards. A product can be grass fed without being organic, or organic without being 100 percent pasture fed.
  • Grass fed does not automatically mean local
  • A product can be grass fed and still come from far away. Shoppers should check origin, supplier and provenance.

Related Terms

Food Miles

The distance food travels before consumption.

View More

Local Food

Food grown, reared, made or sold closer to where people live.

View More

Organic Produce

Food sold directly from a farm to the public.

View More

Farm to Fork

Exploring how your food goes from the ground to the plate. 

View More

Pasture Raised

Farming with livestock raised on pasture & grass.

View More

Grass Fed

What does ‘Grass Fed’ mean and whats it’s importance

View More

Food Provenance

Exploring the best route from crop to plate.

View More

helpful links

FAQ

What does grass fed mean?
Grass fed usually means cattle, sheep, goats or dairy animals are fed mainly or entirely on grass, pasture, hay, silage or other forage instead of grain based diets.
Not always. Pasture for Life says animals only need 51 percent of their diet to be grass based to be labelled grass fed under Defra rules, while Pasture for Life certification guarantees animals have been raised on 100 percent pasture.
Not always. Grass fed can be used more broadly. Pasture fed is often used more specifically, especially where certification such as Pasture for Life confirms animals are raised on 100 percent pasture.
No. Organic is a separate certified farming system. Grass fed refers mainly to animal diet. A product can be grass fed without being organic.
No. Grass fed focuses on diet, while pasture raised focuses more on outdoor access and time spent on pasture.
Grass fed is most commonly used for ruminants such as cattle, sheep and goats. It can apply to beef, lamb, goat meat, milk and dairy products.
You can search for local farms, farm shops, farmers markets, butchers and direct meat box suppliers. BFFD is being built to help users find grass fed beef, grass fed lamb and pasture fed products by location, product and supplier type.

Find Food With a Clearer Story

Food provenance helps people understand where food comes from, who produced it and why that matters.

BFFD is being built to help shoppers find farmers, farm shops, markets, growers and specialist producers with clearer links between food, place and people.
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