11.01.2011

Boar's Head Broken Down


People have been enjoying Boar’s Head meats for over 100 years. There is a level of comfort around the name. People trust it, and do not question it.

But should we?

For all of my clients, I recommend choosing meats that are free of hormones and antibiotics (Why? Well, that’s an entirely different topic for a different day...). Meats from organic, grass-fed animals are even better, but much harder to come by. Recently, one of my clients asked about Boar’s Head deli meat. This client prefers Boar’s Head, but wanted to make sure it was an acceptable choice. I was happy to have the opportunity to research this a bit, and decided to share what I found since so many people love Boar’s Head.








I called a question hotline that I found on the company’s website. The woman was very helpful. Here is what I found out:

Boar’s Head does not carry any organic products at all.

However, they do have an all-natural line. It includes four types of turkey breast, two types of ham, and one type of roast beef. The all-natural meats are purchased from a completely different vendor than their regular meats. The all-natural vendor does not use any hormones or antibiotics in their animals.

Since the USDA does not allow the use of hormones in poultry and pork, it is safe to say that all of Boar’s Head poultry- and pork-based deli meats are hormone-free. However, they still may contain antibiotics (unless they are part of the all-natural line). In addition, the USDA does allow use of hormones in beef, so regular Boar’s Head beef will contain hormones and antibiotics as well.

So, it sounds like the only way to ensure your deli meat is hormone- and antibiotic-free is to purchase from the all-natural line of meats. The all-natural line is not as widely available. You may call the Boar’s Head question hotline at 1-800-352-6277 and ask them to direct you to a distributor in your city, who can let you know which stores and delis sell all-natural Boar’s Head meats. Since I always encourage clients and people who follow my blog to be very proactive when it comes to their nutrition and their health, I highly recommend making this phone call if you regularly purchase Boar's Head. It could be that the deli down the street from you is selling the all-natural meats... you won't know unless you research it a bit!

I will also mention that all Boar’s Head meats are free of fillers, gluten, artificial colors and flavors, and trans fats.

Hopefully those of you who are loyal Boar’s Head lovers found this information helpful!



18 comments:

  1. But even the all-natural line is not organic, and probably comes from factory farm animals fed a diet of GMO corn, no? What about containing nitrates or high amounts of sodium? Grass-fed beef is higher in Omega 3s than corn-fed, but free-roaming chickens are also higher in Omega 3s than chickens fed a diet comprised solely of corn...

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    1. The Boar's Head All Natural Line is produced from animals on a grain free diet. It also contains no nitrates and is a low sodium product. I work for the distributor in my area. I hope this addresses your concerns

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    2. The Boar's Head All Natural Line is produced from animals on a grain free diet. It also contains no nitrates and is a low sodium product. I work for the distributor in my area. I hope this addresses your concerns

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  2. Hi Christy,

    Yes, as I stated above in the blog, I completely agree that grass-fed and organic meats are the absolute best. For some people, these are hard to find or too expensive, so the next best thing is to find something that is at the very least all-natural, free from hormones and antibiotics and excess preservatives.

    Thanks!
    Ann

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    1. THE ALL NATURE LIME DOES NOT HAVE GMO CORN.

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  3. Rebecca HelliwellMay 11, 2012 at 1:23 PM

    Are there any 100% grass fed lunch meats? I understand that pork is pastured so what about ham?

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  4. Does boars head use high fructose corn syrup?

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  5. Thank for this information on Boar's Head meats. It was very helpful to me! I could tell on the Boar's Head website that they were not telling all.

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  6. I bought some boarshead ham this morning and was wondering the same thing. thanks for digging up more information about the quality of the meats and what's included in them. - jacksonville marketing

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  7. I loved this article - thank you! But what is with all the ridiculous spam comments from inappropriate sites? Wow!

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  8. Thanks so much for this information!

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  9. If you contact the Boar's Head nutrition info-line you will be told that Boar's Head purchases their meats from a wide range of farms and does not know: 1. How those animals were raised? 2. What those animals were fed? Conclusion? Boar's Head products are very likely GMO.

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  10. can someone let me know where boars head raises their pigs?

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  11. can someone let me know where boars head raises their pigs?

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  12. I am looking for MSG and carrageenan free options, with low salt. What are my 3-5 best options?

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    1. I no longer buy Boar's Head deli meats. Just so you know KOL Foods has great oven roasted turkey. Ingredients: pastured turkey breast, sea salt, water (this product is fully cooked). I love their philosophy and their meats.

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