Heinen's Beef and Pork FAQ
Our Philosophy
At Heinen’s, our philosophy for raising beef and pork is very straightforward. We work with trusted partners to raise beef and pork to the highest quality standards with respect for the animals and the environment.
To ensure transparency, Heinen’s trusted beef and pork partners undergo third party auditing with Where Food Comes From*, which requires explicit documentation of their policies and processes. This results in CARE Certification and guarantees consistency in how they raise and harvest animals. In partnering with Where Food Comes From, we’re helping provide our trusted beef and pork partners with resources to develop realistic, sustainable, and long lasting practices that serve the animals, the environment, and our customers.
Heinen's Beef
What are the living conditons of Heinen's Beef?
In alignment with the CARE Certification standards, Heinen’s single source beef partner routinely monitors the living spaces of their cattle to ensure easy access to fresh feed and pure, clean water, the ability to move freely and express natural social behaviors, and comfort, relief, and protection from extreme weather.
What is Heinen's Beef fed?
In alignment with the CARE Certification standards, Heinen’s trusted beef partner provides livestock with easy access to water in living spaces and an all vegetarian diet featuring a mix of corn and grasses. The feed and water access meet the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle and are monitored daily to ensure freshness.
Does Heinen's Beef ever receive antibiotics?
To provide the high-quality beef customers expect from Heinen’s, our CARE Certified beef standard is “No antibiotics for 300 days except for those not important to human medicine.” (NAIHM). We made this transition in April 2024 in alignment with a change in practices by our trusted, longtime beef supplier, Brant Beef.
This means that antibiotics may be administered within 300 days of processing but are classified by the FDA as having no impact on human health. They are used solely to improve the digestive health of the animal. We are confident that our supplier, Brandt Beef, is in compliance with the federal practices and testing to ensure no antibiotics will be present in the final products purchased from Heinen’s.
Our beef is third-party CARE Certified through Where Food Comes From, which guarantees that all veterinary care is documented for transparency. We are in constant communication with Brandt Beef and are confident in their responsible use of antibiotics. While the NAIHM terminology may feel unfamiliar, it is a standard used among more and more reputable producers and retailers. Heinen’s began as a butcher shop and our commitment to sourcing the best quality meat for our customers remains a top priority.
Heinen's Pork
What are the living conditions of Heinen's Pork?
In alignment with the CARE Certification standards, Heinen’s Pork is raised in living spaces that are designed to prevent injury to the hogs and allow for easy access to clean air, fresh feed and water that is free of debris and contaminants, and the ability to move freely and express natural social behaviors.
What is Heinen's Pork fed?
In alignment with the CARE Certification standards, Heinen’s trusted pork partner provides hogs with easy access to water in living spaces and an all vegetarian diet that meets the National Research Council’s Nutrient Requirements of Swine. The hogs are routinely monitored to ensure nutritional needs are met and food and water are cleaned regularly.
Does Heinen's Pork ever receive antibiotics?
Heinen’s CARE Certified Pork is raised without antibiotics.
*Where Food Comes From is an independent, third-party food verification company with a mission to inspire a more sustainable food model for the world. Their team of industry experts developed the CARE Certification which ensures consumers that farms and ranches are following guidelines specific to Animal Care, Environmental Stewardship, and People and Community. Heinen’s partnered with Where Food Comes From in 2020 to CARE Certify all Heinen’s brand beef and pork.