Big Beef keeps getting bigger, thanks to growth drugs with unclear safety records
When it comes to cattle, size certainly does matter. But how big is too big? And at what cost?
The beef industry has come to rely on growth-inducing drugs to bulk up cattle before slaughter. But the consequences of using such drugs are a concerning unknown. And in a major move away from one particular growth drug, feedlot operators are refusing to participate in a new, large-scale study of Zilmax, Merck’s branded growth promotant for cattle, NPR reported last month.
Cargill, Tyson, JBS, and National Beef — which together produce more than 80% of the country’s beef — have barred cattle raised with the FDA-approved feed additive, and operators do not want to end up with unsellable livestock.
But instead of abandoning such drugs, several producers are simply using another controversial growth promoting drug instead, called ractopamine.
more
http://fortune.com/2015/02/13/beef-cattle-growth-drug-safety-merck/
= new reply since forum marked as read
in a Petri dish of life as an experiment under the guise of safety regulations.
We should whistle more.
