Organic Meat FAQs
Delivery FAQs
When do you deliver?
How can I track my order?
Can I collect from the farm?
Can I return my packaging?
Yes. Please see further instructions here
Is your packaging recyclable?
Yes. Our Meat is shipped in compostable, insulated chill packaging with ice packs. The boxes and the insulated liners are composable while the plastic vacuum packaging and trays that the meat is packed in can be rinsed and placed in your recycling bin. The ice packs contain non toxic liquid and they can be cut and safely disposed of down the sink. Alternatively we are delighted to give Clean liners and ice packs a 2nd life the only thing we ask is to make sure they’re clean and dry and to gather a minimum of 4 order worth of packaging before returning See here for more about our Free Packaging Returns Service: https://organicmeat.ie/packaging-returns-service/
How can I be sure that my order will stay cold and fresh?
Our orders are dispatched in compostable & insulated specialist chill packaging with ice packs. The specialist packaging has been time-temperature control tested by our HACCP consultant to ensure maintenance of the cold chain during transit.
How long will my Order last?
There are different shelf life on different products. Minced meats generally have a shorter shelf life than whole meat pieces. Vacuumed meats have longer shelf life than non vacuumed/ trayed products. Please see the use by date on the label of the product when received before putting into your fridge. Our meat is sold fresh so is therefore suitable for home freezing upon receipt if required (with the exception of a very small number of items with Previously Frozen in their title)
Can your products be frozen?
The vast majority of our meats are sold fresh except for a very small number of products which have previously frozen in their title
Organic FAQs
What does Organic Food Mean?
Organic food is produced according to Organic Regulatory Standards and are based on organic farming principles which are committed to working in harmony with nature rather than against nature. Organic Standards are underpinned by the EU law, which ensures the integrity of organic production for Irish and European consumers. Organic farming works within the natural confines of the farming eco-system to provide you with great tasting food!
Read more here… (****)
What is the difference between Organic and Free Range?
- ORGANIC ALWAYS MEANS FREE RANGE AND MORE… BUT FREE RANGE DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN ORGANIC!
Free range is a very loosely defined term in Ireland. Organic however is stringently defined.
The only regulated Free Range Farming System in Ireland is for Free Range Poultry. Legislation governing Free range poultry stipulates space requirements, however Organic Poultry legislative space requirements are much greater than those for Free Range Poultry.
- There is no legislative law/ definition/ inspection system for defining Free Range Beef, Lamb or Pork production in Ireland. Organic production however has Free Range at the Heart of its ethos for optimal Animal Welfare and this is stringently enforced by the Department of Agriculture and Food Officials
- Under Organic Regulations, Certified Organic Animals are only allowed Organic Feed and are only allowed to roam and graze on certified Organic Agricultural land. There are no GMOs permitted in Organic feed and the land upon which Organic animals graze is not permitted to be sprayed with artificial fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.
Free range animals however eat normal agricultural feed which often contains GMOs. The land upon which they roam and graze will likely have been sprayed with fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides all which can end up in the meat you eat.
- Organic Animals are not permitted to be routinely vaccinated for disease prevention however free range and conventionally reared animals generally are. Under Organic Farming rules Spacious housing and non intensive farming practices are used instead of vaccines to prevent disease spread in organic herds and flocks.
Is all your produce from your own farm?
The vast majority of Organic Beef and Lamb is from our own farm. Very occasionally we need to source some beef and lamb from a couple of select local Beef & Lamb producers.
Our Chickens are locally sourced from Ballysax Organic Farm in the Curragh, Co. Kildare
Our pork is sourced from a small number of select Organic Pork Producers as locally as possible.
What are your animals fed?
- Our Beef and Lamb animals are all grass fed on organic pasture.
- During inclement winter months the Cattle are housed and kept warm in spacious housing on straw beds and are fed Organic Silage and are supplemented with our Organic Whole Crop Feed (Organic Barley, Peas & Grass) as well as with Organic Stubble Turnips and Kale which is grown on our own Organic farm.
- Our Organic Lambs are generally out on grass all year round but have access to warm straw bedding housing during inclement weather and lambing season. They are supplemented with our Organic Whole Crop Feed (Organic Barley, Peas & Grass) as well as with Organic Stubble Turnips and Kale which is grown on our own Organic farm.
- Organic Chicken and Pigs are also free ranging, rooting and roaming on Organic Pasture but are supplemented with Certified Organic Grain Feed. For animal welfare reasons; during inclement weather Organic producers are allowed to house the poultry and pigs and during this time they are fed Certified Organic Grain Feed.
Are your animals grass fed?
Yes! all our Beef and Lamb are grass fed but most pertinently: they are Grass Fed ON ORGANIC PASTURE! During winter months the Cattle and Lambs are supplemented with our Organic Whole Crop Feed (Organic Barley, Peas & Grass) as well as with Organic Stubble Turnips, Kale.
Our Chicken and Pork are also free ranging on Organic Pasture but are supplemented with Certified Organic Grain Feed. For animal welfare reasons; during inclement weather Organic producers are allowed to house the poultry and pigs and during this time they are fed Certified Organic Grain Feed. Under Organic Welfare standards there are very strict space ratios requirements for animals when housed and they must be housed on comfortable bedding.
It is important to note that lots of conventional farmers call their meat grass fed which is technically correct but this grass feed may be silage feed via indoor factory feed lots all year round. The thought process of intensive farming is that the less energy the animal is expending moving around the quicker they will fatten… These animals may never see the light of day and can be housed in concrete slatted sheds for their lives and intensively fed for quicker fattening.
On the other hand Organic Farming Regulations stipulate very strict space requirements ratios that must be implemented both out on pasture and when housed during the winter.
Do your animals get fed feeds containing the feed additive Boaver?
No! See above for what we feed our animals
Are your Chickens Free Range?
Our chickens are both free ranging and Organic however we are only allowed to call them Organic, we are not allowed to call them free ranging organic. Organic Free Ranging space is significantly greater than normal free range poultry requirements. See FAO what’s the difference between Free Range and Organic
Are your animals fed Soya based feeds?
Our Chickens are Pork are supplemented with an organic grain feed containing mainly Organic Wheat and some Organic Soya Expeller. Organic soya expeller, also known as organic soybean expeller, refers to the byproduct of expeller pressed organic soybeans to extract oil. This process uses mechanical pressure to squeeze the soybeans, separating the oil from the solid dry matter, which becomes the expeller. The resulting expeller is a high-protein by-product suitable for animal feed.
Do Organic Animals receive vaccinations?
Under organic farming regulations routine vaccination is not permitted. Organic Regulations also state that animals must be kept healthy and free from suffering. Therefore vaccines are allowed under specific circumstances in organic farming, but only if your veterinary inspector deems that (for animal welfare reasons) there is a threat of a specific disease to the animal. In such circumstances the animal may be vaccinated to prevent any undue pain or suffering. Any vaccines used in organic farmed must not contain genetically modified ingredients or by-products. This prohibits mRna vaccines for organic farming as mRna Vaccines are genetically modified. There are extremely strict withdrawal periods for any animals that have received any medical intervention before their products are allowed to be sold as meat/ milk.
Do Organic Animals receive Antibiotics?
- Under organic farming regulations routine treatment with antibiotics is not permitted.
- Organic Farmers must practice excellent animal husbandry and if an animal does get sick, as a first line of defence the farmer will use alternative animal health remedies including therapies like herbal medicine and nutritional therapies which aim to enhance well-being and treat conditions through natural methods.
- However; Organic Regulations also state that animals must be kept healthy and free from suffering. Therefore; if natural remedies are unsuccessful, antibiotics are allowed, but only if your veterinary inspector deems that (for animal welfare reasons) there is a threat of a specific disease to the animal. In such circumstances the animal may be treated with an antibiotic to prevent any undue pain or suffering and to cure specific illnesses.
- Any antibiotic used in organic farming must strictly be documented and declared on the organic farmers animal register.
- There are extremely strict withdrawal periods for Organic animals that have received any antibiotic before their produce is allowed to be sold as organic produce. These withdrawal periods are triple those required of conventional animals. If an animal receives more than two antibiotics in its lifetime their produce is no longer permitted to be sold as organic and must be sold as conventional produce.
- These strict withdrawal periods and risk of animals not being allowed to be sold as organic further strengthens the ethos of excellent animal husbandry within organic farming and encourages organic farmers to use natural health remedies as a first line of defence before they turn to animal pharmacuetical interventions.
How can I be sure that your products are Organic?
- Organic producers must by law have an organic license. Organic Licenses are issued annually. You can see our current Organic License below. To have an organic license to sell Organic Meat the producer is regularly inspected and must comply with a comprehensive paper trail to prove traceability that all animals are organic, as well as maintaining excellent operational hygiene, carry out food sampling, training, pest control etc. The producer must keep all their suppliers current organic certifications on file for unannounced inspections. Both planned and unannounced surveillance inspections are carried out regularly throughout the year to ensure that all producers are in compliance with the Regulations.
- Part of the Organic inspection process includes an investigation called a ‘Mass Balance’. This looks at the purchases of a specific animal species and then looks at the sales for that same animal species over a specified period. The weights of that meat species brought into the business for processing and the weight of that meat species sales must very closely match to prove that there is not non organic animals being sold as organic.
- Organic licenses are issued by two different licensing bodies in Ireland (both which implement the same European Organic legislation). The Irish Organic Association and the Irish Organic Trust both issue licenses on behalf of the Department of Agriculture & Food to Organic producers. Licenses are only issued upon satisfactory completion of organic legislative practices. All organic producers must keep a comprehensive paper trail to prove compliance with all Organic legislative requirements. Both the Irish Organic Association and Irish Organic Trust are then rigorously audited by the Department of Agriculture and Food inspectors.
- All Organic products with a label must have the Leaf Symbol below (either in Black or Green)
You should also look for the logo for the Organic Certification Body & the producers Organic License Number on their Organic License Certificate.
Web Site FAQs
How do I redeem a voucher from your site that someone bought for me?
To redeem a voucher or coupon enter the code on the Basket or Cart Page
Do you accept returns?
No due to the highly perishable nature of the Organic Meat product we are unable to accept returns.
Is it safe to pay on your website?
Yes, our website uses the latest encryption technology and does not store your card details.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept VISA & MasterCard – Credit & Debit cards