Mar. 27—Some farmers are asking the state to crack down on food trucks, restaurants and farmers markets touting pricey grass-fed burgers or steaks when the beef is really sourced from cattle that were fed a cheaper and less eco-friendly grain diet over the winter.
Not only is it unfair competition for farmers who are spending the extra time and money to raise the beef cattle on a grass-only diet, but it is also misleading customers who are paying extra for something they're not getting, said Ben Hartwell, who raises grass-only cattle at Sebago Lake Ranch in Gorham.
"It happens a lot more than you think," Hartwell said. "The federal guidelines are hard to find, but they're clear when you do find them: to say it's grass-fed, it has got to be grass-fed, from start to finish. No grain. No excuses."
But the state agencies in charge of policing grass-fed claims only do so when somebody complains. In the last year, the state has fielded three complaints about restaurants making bogus claims about a grass-fed burger on their menus; in all three cases, the complaints turned out to be true.
In response to Hartwell's concern, Rep. David Boyer, R-Poland, has introduced a bill that would codify the federal definition of grass-fed — all grass, no grain — which already is referenced in state regulation, into state statutes. This will give the definition more heft and make it easier to find, lawmakers say.
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