What are our production protocols that guide our business?

The Dirty Clean Food Production Protocols are a set of non-negotiable rules for how a particular product is produced, processed, and delivered to DCF receival points. These protocols are specific to individual product lines (crops and livestock) and are aligned to consumer demands and expectations. They are required in order to demonstrate our comparative advantages to other products with the hope to achieve a market premium. These protocols tend to focus on quality control, animal welfare, health, food safety or other consumer driven requirements. Examples include MSA scores, protein %, no-hormone, grass-fed, no-antibiotic, no-GMO, high animal welfare, HACCP and nil chemical residue. The market for each of our product lines is highly competitive and specialised, and each product may have a unique target market and range of competitors. To respond to this and ensure we can achieve a market-edge for our products, we need to create custom standards to deliver on our promises to our customers. We currently have Production Protocols in place for all DCF branded products &#x2013; beef, lamb, chicken, pork, oats.

Production Protocols

Why we freeze our products and how to find fresh cuts.

Most meat products are frozen unless otherwise stated in the product title or description. We offer a select range of fresh cuts, labelled &quot;fresh cut&quot; or &quot;fresh not frozen&quot; that are cut daily.&#xA0;On the day we process any DCF product, we freeze it on the same day. This helps to ensure the freshest quality product when you receive it, unaffected by the transport and delivery time that may shorten your shelf life on your product. Freezing is our preferred method of preservation over chemical or additive preservation.&#xA0;To find out more about frozen vs fresh meat, click <a href="http://On the day we process any DCF product, we freeze it on the same day. This helps to ensure the freshest quality product when you receive it, unaffected by the transport and delivery time that may shorten your shelf life on your product. To find out more about frozen vs fresh meat, click here." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.

Are all your products frozen?

Our recommendation on how to thaw our frozen products.

To ensure the juiciest, most flavoursome result it&#x2019;s best to fully thaw meat before cooking. We recommend that whole cuts are thawed in the fridge for 36-48h prior to cooking. Individual cuts are best thawed for 12-24h depending on the product. Check out our <a href="https://www.dirtycleanfood.com.au/blogs/unearth/frozen-vs-fresh?_pos=5&amp;_sid=c70699b38&amp;_ss=r" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blog post</a> on how to thaw meat and learn more.

How should I thaw frozen meat?

Expected shelf life of Dirty Clean Food products.

The shelf life varies depending on the specific product and packaging format. The best before date is shown on all packaging and indicates when you should consume the product to ensure premium quality &#x2013; changes start to occur to flavour and texture after this date.

What is the shelf life of your product?

Definitely not! All our products are locally sourced and have no nasties.

Definitely not! All our products are locally sourced and have no nasties.

Does your meat contain hormones or antibiotics?

Information on farming practices regarding vaccines.

We understand and applaud consumers&apos; interest in how their food is produced and commit to transparency in our supply chains. Currently, much misinformation is being circulated about cattle vaccinations. Farmers use vaccinations to protect their animals from various diseases and zoonoses. However, contrary to rumour, there are no mandatory vaccine requirements for livestock in Australia, and it is unlikely there will be. Currently, none of our livestock producers are vaccinating their stock with mRNA vaccines.&#xA0;The increased interest in cattle vaccines stems from Meat and Livestock Australia&apos;s recent commitments to developing an mRNA vaccine against Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) and Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). These exotic diseases, which are on our doorstep in South East Asia, will have devastating animal welfare and trade implications if they enter Australia. Should this occur, mRNA vaccinations will be one of the key options for protecting the health and welfare of our livestock. Vaccines that use live virus material cannot be stored in Australia due to biosecurity risks, therefore, mRNA vaccines can offer a safer alternative. mRNA vaccines also have the potential for rapid development in the face of an outbreak and allow differentiation of animals that have been vaccinated from those that have been exposed to the virus.&#xA0;Additionally, beef producers for Dirty Clean Foods have a low risk of exposure to LSD as the disease is unlikely to survive the environmental conditions in the south of Western Australia.&#xA0;For further information on mRNA vaccines and LSD:<a href="https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/education/livestock-and-mrna-vaccines-what-you-need-know?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0fefoIHf8Z8nrEyV9Ru2KQbINV_SmnGuWw8u1D8vb1Rbtr67cIT_I9rh0_aem_EcqCiTWbhweIye7Hfl8emA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Livestock and mRNA Vaccines: What You Need To Know</a>, 9 April 2023<a href="https://www.mla.com.au/news-and-events/industry-news/mla-funds-mrna-technology-project-to-rapidly-produce-emergency-animal-disease-vaccines/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0cBtbvBsARB7tCaC-k-O0g68KXVzdezjRaCLAFs1mxFrcMgcBvfPezkdc_aem_ss2jyj6Jc682ArozKDSUUQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MLA funds mRNA technology project to rapidly produce emergency animal disease vaccines</a>, 02 May 2023AP News Fact Check <a href="https://apnews.com/ap-fact-check/australia-hasnt-announced-mass-injections-of-mrna-vaccines-for-livestock-00000188e8ffd582afdeffffc0520000?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3TpU_dMEzdLKfAwiBsRZqDAXAK0oPsf70P6OhvgnGwXHZpXmzDnXwbSvs_aem_7hocMp7c10_k0b7OQjBdow" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Australia hasn&#x2019;t announced &#x2018;mass injections&#x2019; of mRNA vaccines for livestock</a>, 24 June 2023For more information on common non mRNA vaccines used in beef cattle and sheep to protect animal welfare and human health: <a href="https://www.mla.com.au/research-and-development/animal-health-welfare-and-biosecurity/husbandry/vaccinating/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1oIdrC2vWIZBEFenVYhKSCRb7Cgtgm08u0QudJltQu9SBsQUucACVnI1U_aem_vzbxGBGho2LgCeeEMdWGtw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">&#xA0;MLA Vaccine Research &amp; Development</a>

Does your meat contain vaccinations and mRNA vaccines?

Information on farming practices regarding bovaer 10.

Our mission has always remained to transform food systems by providing &#x2018;clean&#x2019; food products through a transparent supply chain, produced in an environmentally positive manner.Our beef is 100% grass fed and finished. This means.. they eat grass! In a paddock, for their whole lives. No feedlots.&#xA0;None of our farmers use Bovaer 10. This is an additive that has been developed for use and trialled in Australia in feedlot systems. Farming regeneratively is by its very nature is the sustainable alternative to feedlot farming. Supporting regenerative agriculture inherently means we work with our livestock farmers to sequester carbon into the soil by managing how animals are grazed.&#xA0;We have always had strict guidelines in place for what can and cannot be eaten by cattle that are supplied into our brand. Our Production Protocols are our non-negotiable rules that a farmer must abide by to work with Dirty Clean Food.Please see our blog post on integrating animals into a farming system, our 7th Principle of regenerative agriculture:<a href="https://www.dirtycleanfood.com.au/blogs/unearth/regen-ag-7-integrate-livestock">Regen Ag #7- How Our Farmers Integrate Livestock</a> &#x2014; Dirty Clean Food News &amp; Updates&#xA0;If you&apos;d like to see a visual example of how sequestering carbon and building topsoil works with regenerative grazing, check out <a href="https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=regenerative+agriculture+video&amp;mid=13BADB4A35808CC95FC713BADB4A35808CC95FC7&amp;FORM=VIRE">this video</a>.Learn how integrating livestock into a regenerative farming system improve soil fertility and how our farmers implement holistic grazing on their farms. Link <a href="https://www.dirtycleanfood.com.au/blogs/unearth/the-recipe-for-healthy-soil" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.</a> &#xA0;

Do your farmers use Bovaer?

Our statement on ethical animal treatment.

Treating our animals with utmost care is central to our mission. All of our farmers follow the highest standards of animal welfare, complying with the five freedoms framework. We know that happier, less stressed animals produce better meat. It&#x2019;s simply the right thing to do.

Ethical treatment of animals

Find out what the difference is between our eggs from Runnymede farm and commercial free range eggs.

Pasture raised eggs come from hens that have access to green grass year round. Runnymede Farmers Blythe and Greg&#x2019;s philosophy is to allow their hens to experience the best quality of life for a chicken. This means that their hens can express their natural behaviours, which include preening, dust bathing, foraging for insects, eating green grass, and sunbathing. To achieve this, their hens are housed in mobile chicken tractors that are moved weekly onto fresh pasture. A tractor houses 400 chickens within a 50m x 50m netting fence, or 2,500 square metres, which is the equivalent of 1,600 hens per hectare. To protect them from foxes and birds of prey, each tractor is accompanied by a maremma guardian dog. Free range is the commercial standard for managing hens - under free range classification, there can be up to 10,000 hens per hectare, although some producers may run as low as 1,500 hens per hectare. Free range hens are permanently housed in fixed sheds and must have access to outdoors. There are doors from the shed that are opened during daylight hours to an outdoor area. The outdoor area they are occupying is not usually managed on a rotational basis. As the hens are continually scratching around in the same area, it becomes a bare patch of dirt.

Pasture raised and free range eggs, what's the difference?

This is how nature intended chicken meat and fat to look! For too long we have been fed grain or free range chicken with little access to grasses and bugs in the soil. When the chickens are allowed to graze on natural pastures, they eat what the land has to offer such as the grasses, bugs and worms. These lucky chickens also get a protein boost with a special fermented feed designed to optimise their gut health.&#xA0;Caged birds have pale flesh and fat that is very white. The darker meat and yellow fat is the result of a grass-based diet which is high in chlorophyll. The carotenoid, beta carotene in the grass is the same as the orange colour found in carrots. This is what produces the yellow fat in chickens as well as the bright yellow yolks in pastured eggs.The difference in the health benefits, including cardiovascular benefits of eating grass-fed chickens and eggs is simple - more nutrients. Pasture raised poultry is higher in Vitamin E, monounsaturated fat, Omega-3 and lower in the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 than grain fed chickens.

Why is my chicken fat yellow?

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Find information on Dirty Clean Food in-house products. For specific details relating to a product, all information is listed in the product description. Please read the description carefully before contacting us

Our Meat & Eggs