HORMONES

Hormones are used in beef cattle because they improve feed conversion, thereby getting cattle to an ideal harvesting weight more quickly and cheaply. Estimates of cattle injected with hormones in feedlots range from 80 to 90 percent ¹ , ² . There are six FDA-approved hormones commonly used in beef production in the United States. Estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone are naturally occurring, while zeranol, melengestrol acetate (MGA), and trenbolone acetate, are their synthetic mimics.

High levels of Estradiol and its synthetic counterpart zeranol have both been shown to promote growth of breast cancer cells. The European Commission has prohibited the use of all hormones in meat production in the European Union since 1989 over concerns that hormone use could have carcinogenic effects. Prepupertal children are most likely to be at risk according to the European Commission ³ . More comprehensive research needs to be done to determine what affect other hormones used in beef production have on humans and the environment.

Premium Natural Beef never allows any of its cattle to receive hormones. Our unparalleled Angus genetics enable us to minimize the disadvantage in weight gain that comes from avoiding hormones.

ANTIBIOTICS

Antibiotics are frequently abused in livestock production as a feed additive. These antimicrobial agents are added to feed for two primary reasons: to prevent illness before it occurs and to promote growth. Cattle which have just been weaned, transported long distances, overcrowded, or had their diet significantly changed easily get sick. Feed or water can contain antibiotic additives as a way of mass medicating in order to avoid sickness in a herd. It was discovered over a half century ago that these same antibiotics promote growth and weight gain in livestock which further encouraged their mass application.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria can develop due to this overuse of medications. Humans and animals alike are put at risk when antibiotics lose their effectiveness. The World Health Organization asserts that in livestock, “The types of antimicrobials used are frequently the same as, or closely related to, antimicrobials used in humans.” A 2003 World Health Organization meeting determined “there is clear evidence of adverse human health consequences due to resistant organisms resulting from non-human usage of antimicrobials. These consequences include infections that would not have otherwise occurred, increased frequency of treatment failures (in some cases death) and increased severity of infections ⁴ .” FDA statistics show that 70 percent of bacterial infections Americans contract during hospital stays each year are resistant to at least one antibiotic. The FDA has taken the stance that antibiotics should only be used to cure or prevent disease, not promote growth ⁵ .

Premium Natural Beef never uses antibiotics as a feed additive or otherwise in our beef. If cattle get sick, they are treated and removed from our natural program. We have taken painstaking measures to handle and vaccinate cattle properly to avoid the need for antibiotics. Our knowledge of the herds we source from has enabled us to better manage our cattle and ensure their health. The great genetics used by Premium Natural Beef help our cattle to gain weight quickly without the use of antibiotics as a growth promoter.

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1. Raloff, Janet. "Hormones: Here's the Beef." Science News 161.1. 5 Jan. 2002: 10-12. EBSCOhost. Web. 14 Aug. 2009. http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu.
2. Hanrahan, Charles E. The European Union's Ban on Hormone-Treated Meat. Rep. no. RS20142. National Council for Science and the Environment, 19 Dec. 2000. Web. 14 Aug. 2009. http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/agriculture/ag-63.cfm
3. European Union. European Commission. SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE ON VETERINARY MEASURES. Assessment of Potential Risks to Human Health from Hormone Residues in Bovine Meat and Meat Products. European Commission, 30 Apr. 1999. Web. 5 Aug. 2009. http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scv/out21_en.pdf
4. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization, and World Organization for Animal Health. "Non-Human Antimicrobial Usage and Antimicrobial Resistance: Scientific assessment." Proc. of Joint FAO/OIE/WHO Expert Workshop, Geneva. 2003. 1-38. Print.
5. "FDA would limit antibiotic use on U.S. livestock." Online Article. Reuters. 13 July 2009. Web. 6 Aug. 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE56C6VL20090713.