Did you know?

Here is a list of our important product choices and why.

BEEF (CARNE ASADA) Benefits:

grass-fed beef / "Estancia" from Uruguay / estanciabeef.com / There are many reasons we offer grass-fed over corn-fed cows, but one of most important ones is to NOT support "factory" farmed beef. Please google "factory farmed beef", read a book by Michael Pollan, or watch the movie Food Inc. There is a tradeoff getting our beef from Uruguay being so far away, but we believe the health and environmental benefits outweigh that tradeoff.
no hormones / no antibiotics
higher omega 3 fatty acids, higher Vitamin E and beta carotene than corn fed beef. (all health benefits)
less fat / less cholesterol / compared to corn-fed beef

CHICKEN Benefits:

local Los Angeles based "Jidori" chicken
free range / cage free / vegetarian fed
no antibiotics / no hormones (hormones are NOT allowed in any chicken)
FRESH. The chickens are processed (killed) in Los Angeles and delivered within 48hrs.

SALMON Benefits:

LSG salmon policy is to offer wild salmon. Type of salmon will change throughout year. We will attempt to offer "fresh" COHO, SOCKEYE, PINK among other types during the fishing season (April - August), and offer "FAS"(frozen at sea), when fresh is not available.
Currently offering FAS (Frozen at Sea) wild COHO, aka Silver Salmon.
Please stay informed about the type of salmon we're offering to better inform our customers.

PORK: Benefits

Hill Pork : 50 yr old pork company from Pendleton Oregon. www.hillmeat.com
no hormones
no antibiotics residue (spoke with Jim Cheney, owner of Hill Meat Co., he said the hogs our never given antibiotic except only when animal is sick, like our children. Then the animal is separated from heard. All animals 100 days antibiotic residue free before slaughtered/processed.

TUNA:

Ahi tuna, (yellowfin), typically from South Pacific near Fiji islands.

OTHER SEAFOOD:

We try to offer only approved sustainable seafood by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Safe Seafood Watch Program. www.montereybayaquarium.org

EGGS:

organic / free range / vegetarian fed

BEANS & RICE:

We offer 100% organic beans and rice; both black and pinto beans and our long grain rice.

PRODUCE/VEGETABLES:

We are lucky to live in California and so we source most produce locally. And because most products that La Sirena uses are able to grow year round in California / Mexico, we don't have to buy non-seasonal products from far away.

GLOSSARY:

Quality - Only accepting the best; in return we can provide the best
Fresh - Receiving and making our products fresh every day
Sustainable - A commitment to decrease our ecological footprint
Being Humane - The requirement we look for in every vendor, farmer, and rancher

USDA Definitions:

All Natural - As defined by the USDA, "natural" or "all-natural" means the meat has been minimally processed and contains no preservatives or artificial ingredients. This simply means that no chemicals can be added to the meat during or after processing (although using a chemical disinfectant bath during process to try to reduce E. coli on the carcass is allowed) . Since virtually all fresh beef conforms to these standards, the term has no real significance. The "natural" label does not exclude meats raised using feed-grade antibiotics or hormone implants, nor does it exclude animals raised in a feedlot. The USDA does not even regulate this term on labels, meaning that meat labelled as such is not given any additional inspection. Beef bearing the USDA's "Natural" label can be grown, fed and handled in the same way as other common cattle.
Organic - Beef that carries the USDA organic logo has met the department's standards, which prohibit the use of growth hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified feed, and animal by products. However, the standards do not require a grass-only diet; the animal can still be fed an unnatural and unhealthy grain based diet.
Pasture Finished - means a producer can feed his animals a "grain-based diet" as long as animals have access to pasture. The problem is that merely opening a gate from the feedlot into an adjacent "small" pasture qualifies as Pasture Finished. Unfortunately, cattle are similar to humans and prefer sweet foods like grain and corn to grass. They will, therefore, spend the majority of their time at the feed trough and a minority of time eating grass... if there is grass to eat.
Grass-fed - according to the USDA, "grass-fed" means an animal must have "access" to grass and pasture during its life, and the animal must get the majority of its nutrients from grass. However, there is no restriction on the use of antibiotics, hormones, or pesticides, and the program is voluntary, which means a producer may use "grass-fed" on its labels without verification. True grass-fed beef should be pasture raised from beginning to end. It is not enough to feed the animals 100% grass and hay, but not raise them in pasture. Unfortunately, the USDA's current voluntary labeling guidelines do not strictly enforce this concept. So just because it says "grass-fed" on the label does not mean the animal was grass-fed and pasture raised from beginning to end.