Net Carbon Zero Beef Arrives at Jewel-Osco Meat Cases

Line of grass-fed Angus beef from Silver Fern Farms is produced in New Zealand with lower emissions

4/26/2022

Silver Fern Farms sources carbon credits from its own supply chain, working with farmers and ranchers in biodiverse areas of New Zealand.

Jewel-Osco stores in the U.S. will soon carry a line of eco-friendlier beef. Just in time for grilling season, the Albertsons Cos. banner is launching Net Carbon Zero by Nature 100% Grass-Fed Angus Beef from New Zealand meat company Silver Fern Farms. The product is processed in the U.S. by The Lamb Co. in Pedricktown, N.J., a supplier owned by farmers from New Zealand and Australia.

The sustainable beef line follows last fall’s introduction of Silver Fern Farms’ premium lamb and venison medallions at Jewel-Osco. The new portfolio includes an array of beef cuts, such as ground beef, tenderloin steak, sirloin steak, ribeye steak and New York strip steak. In addition to Jewel-Osco, the products are carried in other select grocery stores in New York City and Los Angeles, according to information from Silver Fern Farms.

To achieve the Net Carbon Zero description, Silver Farms uses “insetting,” working with farmers to offset emissions. The biodiversity on farms in New Zealand offer the capacity to sequester carbon, the company reports.

"Our Net Carbon Zero by Nature Angus Beef steaks and ground beef have exactly the same bold, nutrient dense and unmatched texture of our famous 100% grass-fed suite of meat cuts," said Simon Limmer, CEO of Silver Fern Farms. "All of our cattle browse outside in nature all year-round on a diverse diet of rich clover and rye grasses, on farms that can increasingly offset the emissions they produce."

In addition to lower-carbon production, the brand’s grass-fed beef is made with no added hormones or antibiotics. The products are sold in pre-portioned, case-ready packaging.

The meat case addition is an example of efforts to enhance sustainability by Jewel-Osco parent company Albertsons. In its latest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework released ahead of Earth Day, Albertsons Cos. outlined long-term goals like reducing downstream carbon emissions from the use of sold goods by 27%.

Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons operates more than 2,200 retail stores with 1,700-plus pharmacies, 400 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 20 manufacturing facilities. It operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 well-known banners, among them Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market. Albertsons is No. 8 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.