Cattle feeding
Cattle reared in feedlots are fed hay supplemented with grain, soy and other ingredients to increase the energy density of the feed.
They are fed nutritionally dense feed, also known as "concentrate" or "filler corn", in stalls, pens and feedlots at high stocking densities in enclosures.
However, producers must still apply the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service for the right to put "grass fed" on a label.
[6] Cattle called corn-fed, grain-fed or corn-finished are typically raised on maize, soy and other types of feed.
In the United States, dairy cattle are often supplemented with grain to increase the efficiency of production and reduce the area needed to support the energy requirements of the herd.
During extended dry spells, farmers have turned to use woody biomass fiber from encroacher bush as a primary source of cattle feed, adding locally available supplements for nutrients as well as to improve palatability.
Ionophores work by improving both feed efficiency and growth rate, and lower methane production as one result.
[20] Antibiotics are used in the cattle industry for therapeutic purposes in the clinical treatment of infections and prophylactically for disease prevention by controlling the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
[20] A critical journalist has claimed that the lower population density in free-range animals need decreased antibiotics usage, and has conjectured that cattle would not get sick if they were not fed a corn-based diet.
The benefits of using growth hormones includes improved feed efficiency, carcass quality and rate of muscle development.
The cattle industry takes the position that the use of growth hormones allows plentiful meats to be sold for affordable prices.
The manufactured product Posilac, which was approved in the United States in 1993,[26] was Monsanto's first genetically-modified venture in that country; however, its use has been controversial.
[27] There exists customer concern about growth hormone use being linked to a number of human health problems, such as precocious puberty or cancer.
[28] The ADI level is determined from toxicology studies to be the highest amount of a substance that can be consumed daily throughout a lifespan without causing adverse effects.
[20] Beef hormone residues are MRLs that have been established by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations.
[28] Studies show that the contribution of hormones from beef consumption is minuscule compared to the quantities produced naturally in the human body.
[citation needed] Flax seeds suppress inflammatory effects from bovine respiratory disease (BRD) often affecting stressed cattle during transport and processing.
[30] In 2021, food management system expert Sylvain Charlebois remarked on the industry's use of palm oil, given as palmitic acid supplements, to augment the output of milk product: they "are marketed as a way to increase milk output and boost fat content" but a "review by the Dairy Research and Extension Consortium of Alberta found that butter made from cows fed palm oil remains difficult to spread at room temperature.
"[31] Consumers were dismayed because the physical characteristics of the dairy products had undergone a significant change, notably in increased hardness and increased melting point of the palm oil supplemented butter, although an item published in The Globe and Mail attempted to blame the consumer for the actions of the producer.
[40] If humans ingest this acid-resistant E. coli via grain-feed beef, a large number of them may survive past the stomach, causing an infection.
[43] The problem becomes more complicated as other feedstuffs containing animal by-products are still allowed to be fed to other non-ruminants (chickens, cats, dogs, horses, pigs, etc.).
[citation needed] This was the only traceable link among the cattle with BSE in Canada that led to the recent US embargo of Canadian beef.
This is largely due to Australia's strict quarantine and biosecurity rules that prohibit beef imports from countries known to be infected with BSE.
[49] For environmental reasons, a study by Burney et al. advocates intensifying agriculture by making it more productive per unit of land, instead of raising cattle on pasture.
Complete adoption of farming practices like grass-fed beef production systems would increase the amount of agricultural land needed and produce more greenhouse gas emissions.
Cattle production worldwide is differentiated by animal genetics and feeding methods, resulting in differing quality types.
[9] Regulations on veterinary drug use in food animals and drug-residue testing programs ensure that the product in the grocery store is free of residue from antibiotics or synthetic hormones used in livestock.
These systems include prerequisite programs, which are general procedures or good manufacturing practices that enhance food safety for all meat production processes.
[63] This established a standard definition for the "grass-fed" claim which required continuous access to pasture and animals not being fed grain or grain-based products.
[64] The Union of Concerned Scientists, which in general supported the labelling proposal, claimed that the label, which contained the clause "consumption of grain in the immature stage is acceptable", allowed for "feed harvesting or stockpiling methods that might include significant amounts of grain" because the term "immature" was not clearly defined.
