A new partnership has recently been formed between Nebraska Extension and Pure Nebraska (a 10/11 news ag focused news program).
Pure Nebraska highlights an Extension Educator/program on Thursdays and a 4-H Educator/program on Fridays. Pretty cool huh?
I recently did a segment about meat labels here and you can listen to some of the great things my colleagues are doing here. I had a great time, and it was so fun to see the inside of a tv studio.
Pure Nebraska hosts: Taryn Vanderford and Jon Vanderford.
Yesterday I started the Antibiotic Resistance series to shed some light on why antibiotics are fed to cattle. If you have not already, please take a minute to read Part 1, as it provides some great background information.
In addition to Tylan, rumensin can be fed which is used to keep the animal’s stomach healthy and to prevent coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite that grows in the cells of the intestines. The protozoa are passed through the feces of cattle and are picked up through things cattle come into oral contact with: feed, water, hair coats, udders, other surfaces, etc. By time cattle reach six months of age, it is estimated that 100% are infected, but only 5% show signs of infection. Symptoms include bloody diarrhea, poor growth, severe weight loss, straining to have a bowel movement (due to inflammation), and in some cases, death. This most commonly affects young cattle, but it may also occur in adult cattle. Anticoccidial drugs are most effective very early in the onset of the disease, before symptoms are visible. Therefore, it is generally advisable to feed young or just weaned calves (who are experiencing high levels of stress) an anticoccidiostat in their feed to control this protozoa. Rumensin and other anticoccidiostats are ionophores not antibiotics, which are NOT used at all in human medicine.
Earlier I mentioned a withdrawal date. A withdrawal date is the amount of time that must pass after an animal has received an antibiotic to the time when that animal or the products it produces can be consumed. This is measured in days, and is taken very seriously by persons involved in food production. The livestock industry has two programs in place for livestock farmers designed to enhance and reinforce proper animal care practices, recordkeeping, and the responsible and judicious use of antibiotics. These programs are Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) and Pork Quality Assurance (PQA).
Withdrawal dates clearly defined on a medication label.
In December 2013, you may have heard about the FDA’s (Food and Drug Administration) announcement to remove “improve growth, gain, and efficiency” use of feed grade antibiotics. While this article was written for beef farmers, I think Dr. Dee Griffin does a nice job of explaining what it all means here.
Dr. Dee Griffin
Many people point the finger of blame at the agricultural industry, but there are many other factors that should be considered. First, the overuse and abuse of antibiotics by humans should be discussed. Antibiotics can be obtained over the internet and in some countries without a prescription, leaving people to self-dose and self-medicate. Additionally, persons may take antibiotics for viral infections, like the common cold, when they are not effective. People may also contribute to this problem by not completing a course of antibiotics; they may stop when they feel better or save part of the dosage to decrease expenses associated with a doctor visit and prescription. By not completing a prescribed dose of antibiotics, you are not effectively killing the bacteria that are causing the infection; the bacteria that were not killed have become stronger and in turn resistant to that antibiotic at that level and duration of dosage. Finally, we live in an antibacterial society. How many of you have hand sanitizer, antibacterial soaps and lotions, antibacterial wipes, etc. at home/work? Each time you use these they may kill some bacteria, but the bacteria that are not killed become stronger and more resistant! So take a moment to ponder how you may be contributing to the antibiotic resistance level on a personal level.
Hereford cattle in a feedlot pen.
Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Antibiotic Resistance discussion…
Hello from windy Nebraska! Today, in part three of the great Meat Labeling Terms series, we will discuss the ins-and-outs of no-added hormones and no antibiotics.
The talk of antibiotics and additional hormones (and I say additional, because hormones exist naturally – yes they are naturally occurring in you and me, in plants and animals, in our pets and in our food production animals) always seems to be a conversation that people are passionate about. This post will help you better understand the labeling terms. The use of antibiotics and additional growth hormones by the industry will be posts for another day.
Cooking up some flat iron steaks on the grill!
No-added hormones: All cellular organisms contain hormones, they are naturally occurring – there is no such thing as hormone free! When something is labeled “hormone free” or “no hormones”, it is a misnomer (as they are naturally occurring). The correct wording should be “no-added hormones”, “raised without added hormones”, “no hormones administered”, or “no synthetic hormones” (Labels that tell you a little, n.d.).
Hormones are NOT allowed in hog, poultry, or bison production. Yes, that is correct, no additional hormones are given to pigs, poultry, or bison!!
The statement “no hormones added” CANNOT be used on any packaging for pork, poultry, and/or bison items, unless it is followed by a statement that says “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in poultry/pork/bison” (Meat and poultry labeling terms, 2011; Labels that tell you a little, n.d.), so as not to mislead consumers into believing that these meat protein products were grown with additional hormones.
For other meat production animals, the term “no hormones administered” may be approved for use on the label if there is sufficient documentation indicating the producer has raised the animal without additional hormones (Meat and poultry labeling terms, 2011).
Labels indicating that no additional hormones were used can be used in any of the previously mentioned systems – organic, all-natural, naturally raised, grass-fed, grain-fed (organic and naturally raised are the only systems do not allow for the use of additional hormones). The no-added hormone labels do not account for the diet of the animal, access to pasture, or how the meat was processed.
On this package of ground bison, the label indicates that it was raised without antibiotics or additional hormones. It also has the Federal statement on the label saying the use of hormones is prohibited in bison.
No antibiotics: Is also referred to as “raised without antibiotics” or “no antibiotics administered”. The term “no antibiotics added” may be used on labels for meat and/or poultry products if the producer can provide sufficient documentation indicating the animal was raised without antibiotics (Meat and poultry labeling terms, 2011; Labels that tell you a little, n.d.). This indicates that no antibiotics were used on the animal in its lifetime. Antibiotics are used to prevent and treat disease in animals – just like in humans. If an animal does have to be treated with an antibiotic for illness, the meat, milk, and/or eggs cannot be sold in an organic or naturally raised system and cannot have a label with the wording “raised without antibiotics” (Meat and poultry labeling terms, 2011).
Labels indicating that no antibiotics were used can be used in any of the previously mentioned systems – organic, all-natural, naturally raised, grass-fed, grain-fed (organic and naturally raised are the only systems do not allow for the use of additional hormones). The no antibiotic labels do not account for the diet of the animal, access to pasture, or how the meat was processed.
The label indicates this beef was grown with no added antibiotics – which is a requirement of the organic and naturally raised programs.
When trying to decide which meat option is best for you, it is important to purchase meats that support your values and beliefs, as well as meats that fit into your budget. Shopping around is always advisable too. You have many options when it comes to purchasing meat, you may be able to purchase meat directly from a producer, a small or local butcher shop, your local retailer, a Farmer’s Market, or a bulk retailer. Finally, you may decide you prefer the taste of one of the meat types over another, and purchase based on taste and family preference.
Agricultural with Dr. Lindsay 