Rancher/mother discusses hormone use, antibiotic use in beef livestock

Ituna rancher and mother Adrienne Ivey is perfectly comfortable serving beef from their ranch to her two children.

“I feel comfortable putting beef on the kid’s plates, “she told a farm and food forum in Moose Jaw.

“All Canadian beef is produced by people just like me that are feeding not only you but our own families, as well. You can trust that we really care about the food that gets out on the plate.” Ivey, whose family operates a 4,500head ranch and feeding operation, explained use of hormones and antibiotics in livestock operations.

“It’s easy to be scared about the option of hormones or no hormones,” she admitted.

“We use science to make the best possible decisions for our animals for our land… to ensure our end product, the beef, is the most nutritious, most healthy and safest we can possibly produce.”

Hormones are injected in the ear, which is not used in food, to create faster weight gain so cattle need less time on feed to reach ideal weights. There is a small difference between beef raised with hormones and without. “In a six-ounce piece of beef there are 3.8 nanograms of estrogen. In six ounces of beef raised using hormone implants there is about one nanogram more.”

A can of beer has 15 nanograms of estrogen while a glass of milk has 50 nanograms. “That one nanogram of estrogen seems really small. It’s not a difference I as a mother consider significant.”

Beef can be raised without hormones but would require more land, water and feed. A U.S. study indicates use of hormones in beef and other technologies have allowed producers to raise 31 per cent more beef on 33 per cent less land and reduced the carbon footprint by 16 per cent since 1977.

Ivey also tackled consumer fear of antibiotic residues from beef creating antibiotic resistance in humans.

“It is not possible to raise cattle without antibiotics. Just like people, sometimes animals get sick. They deserve to be treated with every tool that I have.” Their ranch year is organized around keeping animals healthy.

“In Canada all beef is antibiotic free. With every medication used on cattle, there is a specific withdrawal time” before marketing when that medication must be stopped.

“It can be days or longer to ensure no residue is left behind in the meat.” All processing plants test for residues. “It’s an incredibly low chance of an animal coming to a processing plant with residues in it.

“In the rare case where residue is found that animal is not allowed in the food chain.”