More than a week after Tyson Foods Inc. of Springdale stopped buying cattle fed with Zilmax, a food additive given to cows to beef them up before slaughter, the company that produces the drug says it plans to study the drug’s effect on animals.
According to The Week:
Tyson Foods, the largest producer of U.S. beef, noticed that cows fed Zilmax, an animal feed additive given to cattle a few weeks before slaughter to increase their weight, were having trouble walking off the truck on their way to meet their maker. Some had trouble moving, and others just laid down with their tongues hanging out of their mouths, or sat in dog-like positions …
Tyson Foods is not alone in cutting out the drug, and industry-watchers see the move as a proactive measure designed to avoid another “pink slime”-like controversy. On top of that, China and Russia have already banned imports of cattle that have used similar additives.