Pioneering Study Reveals How Production Practices Shape the Nutrient Density of Beef

This multi-year effort provides compelling evidence that beef’s nutritional composition is not fixed, but highly variable—driven by differences in feed and pasture quality, genetics, and animal management systems.

“We’re witnessing the beginnings of a paradigm shift in how we evaluate food quality,” said Eric Smith, CEO of Edacious. “This project moves us closer to answering the fundamental question of whether we are getting enough and the right kind of nutrition from the food we eat. By making nutrient density measurable, comparable, and transparent, we can unlock better outcomes for human health and the environment.”

A Collaborative Effort Across Science, Technology, and Agriculture

The Bionutrient Institute, a grassroots nonprofit focused on improving food quality through citizen science, spearheaded the study and oversaw the global effort of sample collection and community engagement. Participating farmers, researchers, and land stewards contributed beef, forage, soil, and stool samples, along with detailed records of their management practices. This collaborative model enabled the creation of a rich, multi-dimensional dataset that bridges the gap between how food is produced and what it delivers nutritionally.

At the scientific core of the study is the lab of Dr. Stephan van Vliet, a leading metabolomics researcher at Utah State University, who directed the analytical work. His team used a combination of untargeted and targeted metabolomics techniques to measure a wide range of compounds in beef—from macronutrients and fatty acids to phytochemicals and essential minerals.

“Food is more than just protein and calories—it contains thousands of compounds capable of impacting our health,” said Dr. van Vliet. “Our work found that beef raised in more ecologically rich, pasture-based systems contains significantly more health-promoting compounds, including omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemical antioxidants that are not commonly associated with animal foods. These compounds are deeply influenced by what the cattle ate and the environment they lived in.”

To make the findings accessible and meaningful, Edacious provided its software and data tools to organize and visualize the data. Their platform enables stakeholders—from producers to policymakers—to explore how different variables, like pasture diversity or breed, correlate with the nutritional value of beef. The technology enables standardized reporting, allowing producers and brands to highlight the nutritional quality of their products. This helps them stand out in the market while ultimately supporting better health outcomes for consumers.

The notebook with study results can be found here:
https://eat.edacious.com/org/bionutrient-institute/notebooks/nutrient-density-in-beef-data-dashboard

Key Early Findings: Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed Beef

One of the central insights from the study is the degree of nutritional variability between beef raised in pasture or grain systems. The findings challenge simplistic binaries like ‘grass-fed vs. grain-fed’ by revealing that outcomes within these categories can vary widely depending on the practices within those systems; yet they also affirm broad trends distinguishing the systems.

• Grass-fed beef from cattle raised on diverse, polyculture pastures was significantly richer in omega-3 fatty acids, including:
  • ALA (alpha-linolenic acid): +210.7%
  • EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid): +117.6%
  • Total Omega-3s: +103.1%
• These samples also exhibited a lower omega-6:omega-3 ratio, a metric associated with reduced inflammation and improved cardiovascular outcomes.
• Grass-fed beef had 78.5% more calcium, and 72% of phytochemicals were higher in grass-fed beef—many of which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Grain-fed beef, in contrast, showed higher levels of certain B vitamins and minerals, potentially a result of supplementation in conventional grain-fed systems. Omega-6 fatty acids were also higher—which are important because humans have a physiological requirement for them, but they may also contribute to inflammation when consumed in excess.

The study also found that beef from pasture-based systems is generally leaner, with approximately 18% less total fat than grain-fed samples.

“Not all grass-fed systems are created equal, and the same goes for grain-fed,” said Smith. “What we’re learning is that nutrient density is influenced by a complex set of factors. This study gives us the ability to see and measure those differences with precision, which we hope will help producers and consumers make more informed choices.”

Laying the Groundwork for Defining Nutrient Density

This next phase of work is being led as a non-profit effort by a team convened by the Bionutrient Institute, which is working to develop a definition framework that integrates data across nutrition, soil health, the animal microbiome, and farm management practices.

To support this work, the Institute has launched the Bionutrient Definition Standards Board (BDSB) and is currently accepting nominations for experts in nutritional biochemistry, soil agronomy, animal health, and food systems science.

“If we want a healthier food system, we need shared definitions that are rooted in data,” said Dan Kittredge, Executive Director of The Bionutrient Institute. “This research is a community-led effort to build those definitions, with transparency, science, and inclusivity at the core.”

What’s Next

Dr. Stephan van Vliet’s lab at Utah State University continues to lead research connecting agricultural practices to human health through metabolomics. Ongoing analysis from his team is expanding the dataset to include novel analytes and biomarkers, with new publications expected later this year. His work is helping build the scientific foundation to improve our understanding of food quality.

The full dataset—including soil chemistry, forage analysis, and microbiome sequencing—is currently being finalized and will be available to research partners and collaborators in mid 2025. In the meantime, Edacious and the Institute have released a public “Nutrient Density in Beef Dashboard” that showcases early data on nutrition, breed, and production systems.

The research team invites producers, researchers, and food system leaders to explore the dashboard, participate in the standards board, and help shape the next chapter in understanding nutrient density.

Edacious is currently serving a growing base of commercial customers through novel, innovative research that integrates its advanced ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, proprietary software, and robust data science capabilities. The company now provides comprehensive analysis across all whole food categories, offering measurement and insights into a full range of analytical compounds of interest, including nutrients, phytochemicals, and contaminants. This infrastructure enables brands, producers, and researchers to quantify and differentiate food quality with scientific precision and transparency.