Sales of cattle steriod doping drug suspended after concerns arise

[Emily]

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/08/27/merck-buried-by-industry-beef.aspx

Merck Buried by Industry Beef

By Rich Duprey | More Articles
August 27, 2013 | Comments (0)

Like a pebble rolling downhill and starting an avalanche, the decision by Tyson Foods (NYSE: TSN ) to stop buying cattle fattened with the steroid-like drug Zilmax has caused a rockslide that may create reverberations throughout the corporate agricultural food chain.

Not only has Tyson's decision caused pharmaceutical giant Merck (NYSE: MRK ) to suspend the sale of the drug in the U.S. and Canada, but now the third-biggest meat processor, Cargill, has said it will also stop buying cattle that have been injected with Zilmax. .

Tyson suspected the drug was causing its cattle to have difficulty walking. Zilmax bulks up cows by as much as 24 to 34 pounds just before they're led to slaughter, which Merck naturally contends is safe. It says it has 30 years of research behind it to prove its efficacy, and the FDA chimes in that it's safe for human consumption, too. Of course, now along with the Agriculture Dept., it is investigating whether it's really as safe as it has said...

http://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/neb-cattle-feeders-launch-campaign-against-feed-additive/article_8cb2a62e-8e6e-5092-82ee-7a5abfe070e1.html

Neb. cattle feeders launch campaign against feed additive
August 26, 2013 6:30 pm ? ART HOVEY Lincoln Journal Star
UNL researchers target Zilmax concerns

LINCOLN, Neb.
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Beef Additive Alert webste

LINCOLN | Gerald Timmerman, one of Nebraska?s most prominent cattle feeders, and Harvey Dietrich, his longtime business partner from Arizona, have launched a national campaign called Beef Additive Alert to raise concerns about use of the feed additive Zilmax and similar products in beef production.

As the campaign takes on visibility, part of their focus is on 4-H and FFA competitors at the Nebraska State Fair relying on performance-enhancing Zilmax to bulk up their beef entries.

?We in this United States have got the highest quality, the most consistent and the most integrity in the world in our product,? Springfield-based Timmerman said last week. ?But we?ve felt that the usage of some of these chemicals and compounds was causing some animal welfare problems and some consistency problems.?...

 

[Vibrant62]

Re: Sales of cattle steriod doping drug suspended after concerns arise

Good news for human health. Now I wonder if obesity rates will start to fall? It will be interesting to monitor.