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meatdirectinc

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Meat Direct Inc is a local Edmonton meat shop conveniently located on St. Albert Trail just a few blocks North of the Yellowhead Trail. We’re provincially and federally inspected, and provide only the highest-quality grass fed and hormone free meats.

About Meat Direct Inc

About Us

At Meat Direct Inc, we are passionate about delivering great food to people across the Edmonton area; the quality of our local products and their decent costs. From our farm to your plate, we’re proud to serve you the best Alberta can offer.

Mike and Natalia are excited to provide great quality meat that everyone can afford and also understanding the importance of supporting local farmers. Mike grew up on a farm all his life and produces all the animals that are available in store. Natalia, meanwhile, manages the company and takes care of their patrons. Having been together for over a decade, Mike and Natalia decided to open their first ever butchery shop to provide Albertans and residents of Edmonton with choice meat cuts and products that provide a high level of quality for a price that everyone can afford. So far, they’ve seen success increase as the word of mouth gets around the Edmonton area.

Grass Feed
Hormone Free Meat
Federally Inspected
Farms Product
Home Made
As a family owned & operated business, we understand the value of dealing with local, family-owned and operated farms. When you shop at Meat Direct Inc, you’re supporting a local network of farms, producers, and families - right here in Alberta – who’s environmental and sustainability visions align, including good stewardship of the land and respectful treatment of their animals.

We are seasoned experts at providing skilled, crafted cuts of meat using the best possible industry practices. Our products include beef, bison, lamb, pork, and poultry.

We’d love to have you connect with us online or visit us in-store today!

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FAQ

Good to Know

At Meat Direct Inc, we are passionate about delivering great food to people across the Edmonton area; the quality of our local products and their decent costs. From our farm to your plate, we’re proud to serve you the best Alberta can offer.

What it Means to be Provincially and Federally Inspected

Alberta’s meat inspection system is very similar to the federal approach. The Meat Inspection Act and Meat Inspection Regulation requires that all animals are inspected for health before slaughter – usually just before, but at least within 24 hours.

The Alberta government's Meat and Dairy Inspection Section is responsible for regulating red meat and poultry abattoirs, mobile butchers, mobile butcher facilities and on-farm slaughter operations in the province.
The Section is divided into 5 regions: Vermilion, Edmonton, Airdrie, Grande Praire/La Crete and Lethbridge.
Inspectors are dedicated to the safety and security of meat processed in provincially licensed abattoirs. These inspectors work directly with facility operators to ensure:

• all meat bearing the provincial inspection legend is fit for human consumption
• facilities comply with food safety regulations
• animal slaughter is humane

Slaughter inspections
Unhealthy, or even slightly abnormal, animals are identified and depending on the issue either:

• segregated for separate slaughter and special inspection, or
• not allowed to enter the human food chain

To make these decisions, inspectors draw on their understanding of meat inspection techniques, food safety risks, good manufacturing practices and applicable legislative requirements.

Humane slaughter is conducted by ensuring that animals are treated respectfully, and are stunned properly prior to slaughter to ensure that they experience no pain or distress.

Every carcass is subject to a thorough post-mortem examination, which includes a thorough examination of the carcass, head, and internal organs, including the lymphatic system. Carcasses, or portions thereof, are condemned if they are deemed unfit for human consumption because of disease or contamination.

Meat inspectors can consult the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian if they require veterinary advice, or if there is any doubt whether a carcass is to be approved for human consumption or condemned. If necessary, a carcass will be held pending consultation or laboratory analysis of a selected specimen(s).

Condemned carcasses are disposed of in accordance with the Disposal of Dead Animals Regulation.

Meat inspectors also collect samples for various provincial and federal surveillance programs and food safety projects such as Brucellosis and Chronic Wasting Disease testing.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry works with Alberta Health Services (AHS) Environmental Public Health to help ensure safe food for Albertans. AHS Environmental Public Health data is available online on the AHS website (PDF, 61 KB).

Source: alberta.ca (https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-meat-inspection-system.aspx)
Grass Fed Meat
Grass fed and grain fed beef are terms that can be used to describe the beef you can buy. What do these terms mean and how do these feeding practices impact the nutritional quality of the beef you eat?

What Cattle Eat
All cattle eat forage for most of their lives by grazing out in pasture for summer months, or as feed when pasture is under snow in the winter. Forage includes grasses as well as legume plants such as clover and alfalfa. As feed, forage will be fed to cattle dried as hay or as silage, a naturally fermented feed. Some grain may also be provided during winter to ensure the cattle have sufficient energy for growth. At about 3 to 4 months before cattle go to market, cattle feed may be gradually adjusted to a diet that consists mainly of grains like corn or barley. The grain helps to produce a more marbled higher quality grade of beef. At this time, cattle are housed in barns or fenced in areas for easier feeding. Beef from cattle finished on a grain based diet may be referred to as ‘grain fed’. Beef from cattle that are not grain finished may be called ’grass fed’.

Benefits of Grass Fed Meat
In addition to being packed with B vitamins, grass fed beef has been found to be higher in vitamins A, E, and other antioxidants compared to grain fed beef. Grass-fed beef has significantly lower levels of saturated fat compared to grain-fed beef.

Analyses have also revealed that, compared to grain-fed beef, grass-fed beef has a higher concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid thought to have anti-cancer properties. Grass-fed beef is also higher in antioxidants such as beta carotene and vitamin E than conventional beef.

Sources: canadabeef.ca (https://canadabeef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/3208_CANBEEF_factsheet_NUTRITION-2016.pdf), webmd.com (https://www.webmd.com/diet/grass-fed-beef-good-for-you), theglobeandmail.com (https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/is-grass-fed-beef-more-nutritious-than-regular-beef/article28948990/)
Hormone Free Meat
Red meat is an excellent source of protein and essential nutrients such as iron, zinc, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fats, which are linked to heart and brain health, and organic farming and grass feeding offer social and environmental benefits as well, compared with conventionally produced red meats.

In addition to being healthier, hormone free meat is also considered by many to be tastier than its hormone laden counterpart.

At Meat Direct Inc, we believe animals inundated with hormones and grains don't develop the same kind of lean, tasty muscles that grass fed, hormone free animals do.

Everything you'll find in store at Meat Direct Inc is provincially and federally inspected, grass fed, and hormone free. Please contact us online or visit us in-store if you have any questions about the source and/or quality of our meats.