Students (all seniors) enrolled in AGRI 610 Beef Cattle Production and Management this past spring semester were asked to choose a topic about beef production and write a short article to share with the public about that topic. The topics could cover anything from a description of their own ranch operations to a specific aspect of beef, such as its nutritional value. These articles are also being shared with each student’s local hometown newspaper.
By Emily Vollbracht
As consumers, many people have seen a beef product on the supermarket shelf with a stamp or sticker on it claiming it to be “hormone free.” How is this even possible when beef cattle contain naturally occurring hormones? In reality, “hormone-free” beef is simply beef that is raised without extra hormones given to the animal to promote the growth of the animal during production. But many consumers do not fully understand this concept.
Sex hormones, especially estrogen, have been used by ranchers to fatten up beef cattle since the Food and Drug Administration approved them for use in 1954. Six hormones are approved for use in beef production in the United States. Naturally occurring hormones include testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. The other three are synthetic hormones that are genetically similar to the naturally occurring hormones.
Are these added hormones dangerous to consumers who eat the food? After extensive research, the FDA found that there is no danger in consuming beef with added growth-promoting hormones. Today, the majority of growth hormones are administered via implants placed under the skin in the middle of the backside of the animal’s ear, giving the animal a slow and constant rate of these hormones. The implants are not required to be removed at any time before slaughter. When the cattle are slaughtered, the ear is simply removed and does not enter the human food chain, allowing for a zero-day withdrawal period. This means that FDA has approved that the meat is safe to consume at any time after the animal has been treated because the growth hormones are metabolized by the animal before it goes to slaughter.
What is most important for a consumer to recognize is that many common foods contain natural estrogen in levels much higher than those found in beef from an animal that has been implanted. In comparison, according to the Michigan State University article “Examining Growth Hormones in Beef,” a four-ounce steak from a steer treated with hormones contains only 1.6 nanograms (an untreated steer contains 1.2 nanograms) of estrogen while four ounces of raw cabbage contains 2,700 nanograms. Soy also has a large amount of estrogen in it. Your average soy latte has approximately 30,000 nanograms of estrogen. If you are worried about your food containing too many hormones, ditch that soy latte.
If the thought of consuming beef from implanted cattle still concerns you, buy beef that is labeled as organic or natural. Organic and natural beef contains only the naturally occurring hormones but is sold at a much higher price due to having a higher cost of production. But even organic beef is not proven to be any better for you. It just may give you peace of mind to know you will not be consuming these additional 0.4 nanograms of hormones per serving. That peace of mind may not necessarily be worth the premium price that you will have to pay for it.
It is safe to say that there is absolutely no such thing as what consumers refer to as “hormone-free” beef. The cold, hard truth is that no matter what kind of beef you consume, whether you prefer grain fed, grass fed, natural, or organic, the beef is going to have some hormones. And what many consumers forget to think about is the fact that the amount of hormones found in beef is quite minuscule to many other daily food sources. It only seems reasonable to take these naturally occurring hormones and give them a boost to help keep beef productivity levels high and inputs low in order to meet expectations. Otherwise, there is no way that the beef market could keep up with our constantly growing consumer demands.
Emily Vollbracht, a 2012 Wheatland High School graduate, graduated this spring with a degree in agricultural business from Fort Hays State University. She is the daughter of Duane and Kris Vollbracht, Grinnell.