We are excited to announce that Green Zabiha has been awarded Green America’s Certified Green Business!
We’re especially happy since we are the first organization of any kind focused on organic grass fed meats to receive this certificate! And the first halal company to ever apply, much less get awarded! So we’re on the national Green Pages!
Green America (formerly Co-op America) is one of the leading organizations working towards a more sustainable and greener America. Established in 1982, the not-for-profit has been a leader in improving our world and making millions of people more aware of alternatives to ‘conventional’ ways of doing things. Green America has played a critical role in championing Fair Trade, sustainable agriculture, social justice and alternative energy initiatives in the US.
Green America also maintains the authoritative list of sustainable businesses in the US, the Green Business Network, and are also one of the key partners in the wildly popular Green Festival.
We went through a rigorous screening process as part of the certification to show that our principles and business processes are in line with Green America’s standards.
More about Green America
www.greenamericatoday.org
Nitrites are used in prepared meats (and other food products) as a preservative and color fixative. By using them, jerky, hot dogs and similar products can last for months.
But this convenience, unfortunately, comes at a price. Previously nitrites have been linked to cancer, since under certain conditions they can be turned into carcinogens. Now in a startling new study, evidence suggests they may also be a factor in the rising rates of diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. So unfortunately its another case of where industrial food gained some production benefits…but at what cost? Is some extra shelf life and improved color worth the risk? No doubt we’ll be getting some additional studies telling us how safe they are, but who knows, perhaps as time goes on nitrites will go the way of other food additive miracles, like trans fats, remember them? They were in everything, and no one mentioned any potential health risks, then all of a sudden..poof! Almost overnight every product proudly displayed the 100% trans fat free seal. There is a bigger issue here regarding science and nutrition. It seems like every year or so what was safe is found to be dangerous (remember margirine was good, butter bad? how’d that turn out?), of course you could always play it safe and just stick to natural foods!
Well, with nitrites we’re not waiting for any more research, we strive to eat food that doesn’t have any sodium nitrates or sodium nitrites (or any preservatives, additives, high fructose corn syrup etc. like our prepared beef products) playing it safe and natural is the safe way. A general rule of thumb is that the less processed/additives in food the better.
