You are sitting down to dinner, looking forward to a nice, juicy steak. You lift your fork and your knife, preparing to take a bite. But wait....do you know what goes into the beef you consume? Do you realize how much controversy you have sitting on your plate? And if you do, how much does it matter to you?
For a large number of people, the issue of hormones implanted into cattle matters a great deal. Hormonal implants have been used extensively in beef production for many, many years. First, let me explain what an implant is and how it works. A hormonal implant is a small pellet or device placed, with a needle, into the back of the ear between the skin and the cartilage. Each pellet contains agents that stimulate growth and boost feed efficiency by dissolving and releasing hormones into the blood system. This means that cattle put on more weight for the same amount of feed eaten, and have faster growth rates. Producers of these animals will spend less money on feed, and their cattle will reach a desirable market weight more quickly, meaning more profit for these farmers and ranchers. Very rarely do implants return less than $5 for every $1 spent, and on the average, profit is nearer to $10 return for every $1 put into purchasing implants.
There are two types of agents used in hormonal implants. The first are estrogenic agents which boost the metabolic system to use nutrients more effectively. The second set of agents used are androgenic. These agents are tissue building and enhance muscle growth, and, added to the estrogenic agents, help increase feed efficiency and daily gain as well. Implants today are a combination of the two agents.
Cattle should be implanted as soon as possible. An age of 60 days is acceptable. The older an animal is when it is first implanted, the smaller the effect will be. Each different type of implant has a different length of effectiveness, and therefore a different re-implantation schedule. For maximum effect cattle should be re-implanted continuously during the entire production phase, based on the length of implant effectiveness. Overall, implants are a huge benefit for the agricultural community. They not only greatly increase productivity, but hormone treatments can also improve the tenderness and flavor of meat products.
It is important to know exactly what implants are and how they work so that you can form your own opinion on this controversial issue. One argument against implants is that they are not natural for the cattle. This argument supports the belief that producers of beef cattle are ignoring the health of these animals in pursuit of a larger income. Think of this. The level of hormones present in castrated animals, such as steer raised for slaughter, is much lower than those of animals who are still intact, due to severely limited production by the sexual organs. This causes these animals to have a slower growth rate than intact cattle. Implants will replenish missing hormones taken away by the castration procedure, and allow cattle to reach their full potential in terms of size. If administered properly and by FDA standards, there is no ill-effect on the cattle.
The European Union, or the EU, claims that humans ingesting these hormones imposed by man are at a high risk for cancer. This belief led to a ban on implanted beef from the U.S. and sparked a large argument involving Europe, America, Canada and the World Trade Organization. The EU claims that unnaturally elevated levels of sex hormones such as estrogen can lead to health problems. The FDA recognizes that persistent exposure to over stimulation by these naturally-occurring hormones can be a factor in the development of cancer. This is why there are regulations to the amounts of hormones that are allowed to be present in implants. The level of hormones is below an amount that is scientifically proven to cause an effect in a human being.
The average male produces 100,000 nanograms of estrogen per day. A nanogram is one billionth of a gram. The average non-pregnant woman produces 5 million nanograms of estrogen daily, and the average child produces 40,000. If a person ate one pound of implanted beef daily, they would only be ingesting 10 nanograms of estrogen per day. When you step back and look at this, the sex hormones in implanted cattle are miniscule in comparison to the amount already present in our bodies. This amount is not enough to make any impact on our health whatsoever.
Lets look at this another way. There are 7 nanograms of estrogen activity in one pound of non-implanted beef. The increase in estrogen between non-implanted beef and implanted beef is only 3 nanograms. Remember, a nanogram is only one BILLIONTH of a gram, which in and of itself is a small measurement. Ice cream has 2,724 nanograms of estrogen per pound. Eggs have 15,890 per pound. Cabbage has 10,896 and soybean oil has 908,000. Arguing that 3 nanograms of estrogen is going to cause cancer is considered by many, including the FDA, as severely implausible if not completely impossible.
There are currently six hormones that are approved for use in beef cattle. Three of these are naturally occurring while three are synthetically made to imitate the action of natural hormones. Another argument introduced is that being synthetic, these three hormones are potentially dangerous. The FDA requires full-scale toxicity studies for these substances. It has been concluded that these hormones are not dangerous to human beings or cattle except for their levels of hormonal activity, the same worry that opposers of implants have for the naturally occurring sex related hormones such as estrogen. Therefore, the FDA regulates the amount of these hormones used in implants the same way it does the three natural hormones.
It is true that if mishandled and administered improperly, implants could pose a health risk. Hormones injected in doses that are too high or are administered in the wrong way could possibly present dangers. But we have no reason to worry about implants in the United States. The FDA has imposed strict guidelines and regulations for implants that must legally be followed. All implant products must first be approved by the FDA and must consist of elements that the FDA has deemed safe. They must also be packaged in the correct amounts and with the correct administration instructions. The only injection site approved by the FDA is the ear as it is not used for human consumption. This means the area containing the highest amount of hormonal residue, the area directly in contact with the stimulant-packed pellet, never enters the food chain. We can rest assured that our country and our government carefully ensures that these beneficial hormones are properly used and that we remain safe, in the same way that they oversee operations with every other food and drug throughout the United States.
Hormone implants have been used extensively in the United States for over 40 years. Where are the documented cases of cancer and other serious health problems caused from consuming implanted beef? There is a reason there are none to be found. Health concerns are largely based on scientific speculation and assumption. It is assumed that because there are proven cases of health issues in people who take hormone medications, that implanted beef will cause the same ill effects. Considerations into amounts, other ingredients, and extremely different circumstances and procedures, not to mention the difference between direct consumption of hormones and the eating of meat that has trace amounts of hormonal residue, seem to have been nearly completely overlooked.
Implants benefit our economy. They benefit the agricultural community and countless families who rely on the sale of their cattle for their livelihood. They benefit the consumer by giving us more product that is superior in quality. Arguments of implants stand on a very shaky footing, with evidence that is ill researched and presented. How much do implants matter to you? Will they change your thinking about the beef that you purchase? Whatever the case, these long running implants are an important part of the beef industry and they are here to stay.
By Robynn Buford
