Jim Drouillard, professor of animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University, has developed a technique that enriches ground beef with the fatty acids that have been shown to reduce heart disease, cholesterol and high blood pressure.The technology to enrich ground beef with omega-3 fatty acids is a spinoff of flaxseed research Drouillard began in 1998, according to a news release.
Drouillard and his students studied flax for several of its omega-3 fatty acids that may suppress inflammation and reduce diabetes in cattle. Research showed that omega-3 levels dramatically increased in the cattle as more flaxseed was introduced into their diet.
Keeping the omega-3s from becoming saturated fats in cattle's digestive system is a challenge, however. Microorganisms in the rumen — the largest chamber in the cow's stomach — modify most of the ingested fats and turn them into saturated fats.
This causes ground beef to have low levels of omega-3s. Christian Alvarado Gilis, a doctoral candidate in animal sciences and industry, is researching how to improve omega-3 levels in cattle diets to further enhance the fat profile of beef.
According to Drouillard, substituting omega-3 fatty acids for saturated fats does not change the ground beef's flavor.
The enriched ground beef, named GreatO Premium Ground Beef, is being sold through a Manhattan, Kan.-based company and will be available mid-February at select retailers in Buffalo, N.Y. The product will be expanded to retailers and restaurants nationwide later this year.
A quarter-pound hamburger made of the enriched ground beef has 200 milligrams of omega-3s and tastes the same as regular ground beef, Drouillard said in a news release. Nutritionists recommend between 1,200-1,600 milligrams daily.
