Why does my KOL Foods meat look, taste, or smell different than regular meat?

The short answer is that that’s how real meat looks, tastes, and smells!

The long answer is that grass-fed and pastured meat has different flavor profiles than grain-finished meat does. The proteins and fats in the meat are physically different, causing the meat to taste and smell slightly different. Grass-fed meat also has lower levels of myoglobin- what makes meat red- than grain-finished meat does. This means our meat also looks slightly different, and in the case of the beef, lamb, and duck a bit more purple. Color variations are also present in our chicken and turkey. All of these differences all come back to the way we produce our meat- always on grass or pasture, no matter what. For more information on how KOL Foods farms work, check out our pages on our beef/lamb, our poultry, and our farmers. For tips on how cooking with grass-fed meat is different, check out our tips here and our blog.