Is eating grass-fed beef really better for you than conventional beef?

In fact, studies show grass-fed beef tends to be higher in some nutrients, and may contain fewer bacteria that can cause food poisoning, The New York Times reports.

According to the American Grassfed Association, which has a certification program, grass-fed animals are “those that have eaten nothing but grass and forage from weaning to harvest, have not been raised in confinement, and have never been fed antibiotics or growth hormones.”

Conventionally raised livestock are typically fed primarily corn and soy, which causes them to fatten more quickly, said Glenn A. Nader, a natural resources farm adviser for the University of California Cooperative Extension.

In 2010, Nader and his colleagues published a review in Nutrition Journal that found that grass-fed beef contained higher levels of beneficial fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid. It also contained more antioxidants and higher levels of beta carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that can give grass-fed beef a yellowish appearance.

This month, Consumer Reports tested 300 samples of beef purchased at stores across the United States and determined that beef from conventionally raised cows was three times as likely as grass-fed beef to contain bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics. The report recommended that consumers choose grass-fed organic beef “whenever possible.”

Consumers who wish to buy grass-fed beef can find that information on package labels, as required by the United States Department of Agriculture.