Ongoing research explores the relationship between regenerative agricultural practices and the nutritional characteristics of food

BEDMINSTER, N.J., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Applegate Farms, LLC, the maker of the nation’s leading natural and organic meat brand, today shared new omega fatty acid findings from its Regenerative Organic Certified^®1 all-beef hot dogs as part of the company’s Regenerative Health mission initiative.

Applegate partnered with Edacious, an ISO-accredited laboratory and food data platform, to analyze the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid composition of its certified regenerative all-beef hot dogs. Testing found that APPLEGATE ORGANICS^® THE GREAT ORGANIC UNCURED BEEF HOT DOG^® product has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 1.3:1.

Regenerative Health is Applegate’s new research initiative that seeks to better understand the relationship between regenerative agricultural practices and the nutritional quality of food.

“At Applegate, we have long believed that how food is raised matters,” said Joseph O’Connor, president of Applegate. “Research has shown that some agricultural practices can benefit the soil, animals, and surrounding ecosystems. Through Regenerative Health, we are asking an additional question: How might those practices influence the nutritional characteristics of the food people eat? We believe this is an important area of research for the future of our food system.”

Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats that the human body needs but cannot produce on its own. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help maintain cardiovascular function, support healthy circulatory and endocrine systems, and play a key role in brain function. Grass-fed beef has also been found to be a source of omega-3 fatty acids and is on average found to contain higher levels than conventionally raised, grain-finished beef.

Nutrition researchers also examine the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids because the two fats compete for some of the same conversion enzymes in the body. Although estimates vary, some research suggests the modern Western diet may contain an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio as high as 20:1². A lower ratio reflects a more balanced proportion of omega-3 fatty acids relative to omega-6 fatty acids.

The following data from Edacious, compare omega-6 to omega-3 ratios across several foods:

The beef used in Applegate’s all-beef hot dogs is 100% grass-fed, pasture raised, and certified regenerative. By testing omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids across both its natural and organic all-beef hot dogs, Applegate is working to better understand the relationship between agricultural practices and nutrient composition.

“Good farming practices can help improve the land, but there is still much to learn about how those systems may influence the food produced from them,” said Carolyn Gahn, senior director of mission and advocacy at Applegate. “Our goal is to contribute credible data and support research that helps connect those dots. We hope this work can deepen understanding of regenerative agriculture and help inform future conversations about food quality.”

“The ability to measure the nutritional quality of food with greater precision is creating new opportunities to explore the connection between agriculture and human health,” said Eric Smith, founder and CEO of Edacious. “While much remains to be studied, generating robust data is an important step toward understanding how farming practices shape the quality of the food we eat.”

The testing is one component of Applegate’s broader Regenerative Health initiative. The company also supported a study examining the relationship between cattle production practices and beef nutrient composition. Applegate is also funding research exploring whether consuming organic grass-fed beef rather than conventionally raised grain-fed beef may positively influence human health. That study is being prepared for peer review.

Applegate plans to continue testing its certified regenerative beef for omega fatty acids and other nutritional characteristics.

The findings are included in Applegate’s 2025–26 Mission Report, which details the company’s work in regenerative agriculture, animal welfare, farmer support, and emerging research exploring the connection between farming practices and nutritional quality of food. The full report is available at http://www.applegate.com/mission-report.

¹ https://regenorganic.org/
² https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8504498/
³minimally processed, no artificial ingredients

About Applegate Farms, LLC 
Founded in 1987, Applegate Farms, LLC produces high-quality natural³ and organic hot dogs, bacon, sausages, deli meats, and frozen products. Our products are made with simple, recognizable ingredients, and we source from farms where animals are treated with care and respect, pursuant to our Applegate Humanely Raised* guidelines all part of our mission – Changing The Meat We Eat^®.

When you choose Applegate, you’re choosing meat that’s raised with care for animals, people and the planet. To us, this means our food is:

• From animals that are Applegate Humanely Raised* without antibiotics, added hormones or growth promotants, and allowed to grow at their natural rate
• Free of synthetic nitrates or nitrites
• Minimally processed, no artificial ingredients

Applegate became a stand-alone subsidiary of Hormel Foods in July 2015. For more information about our products, visit www.applegate.com or talk with us on https://www.instagram.com/applegate, send a text to (908) 725-5800.

*Applegate Humanely Raised is a system that raises animals with space to engage in natural behaviors to promote natural growth.

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