WICHITA, Kan. - Tyson Foods Inc. told cattle feeders this week it will no longer buy animals fed a supplement that's designed to bulk them up before slaughter, citing experts who suggest the drug may be causing cattle to become lame.
The decision by the food giant has raised concerns from industry experts that less beef will be available, which would drive up consumer prices.
The growth-inducing drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and help feed yards get roughly 25 more pounds of beef from each carcass. They've been increasingly used to offset dwindling cattle herd numbers, especially in the face of last year's drought.
"There have been recent instances of cattle delivered for processing that have difficulty walking or are unable to move," Tyson told feeders in a letter Wednesday. "We do not know the specific cause of these problems, but some animal health experts have suggested that the use of the feed supplement Zilmax, also known as zilpaterol, is one possible cause."
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Tyson, one of the nation's largest beef processors, said the vast majority of the feedback the company has received has been supportive, because it's being done out of concern for animal welfare, company spokesman Gary Mickelson said Friday. He did not elaborate on the experts' findings. In the company's letter Wednesday, it said, "This is not a food safety issue. It is about animal well-being and ensuring the proper treatment of livestock we depend on to operate." The purchases of Zilmax-fed cattle will end Sept. 6.
Zilmax manufacturer Merck Animal Health said in an emailed statement Friday that its product is safe. It said studies have found that cattle fed Zilmax have normal behavior and movement. Merck said it will work with Tyson to help identify other causes for the lameness.
