Dive Summary:
- Cargill Inc on Monday announced that the company would boot cows fed with Zilmax from its production supply by the end of September.
- "While Cargill has not linked Zilmax to any specific incidents involving animal well-being, the company does believe more research is necessary to answer recently raised questions regarding the use of this product," the company announced in a statement on Cargill.com.
- Merck & Co., the company responsible for Zilmax, has already announced that sales of the drug are being suspended in the U.S. and Canada, following Tyson Foods' announcement that it was ending use of the drug over concerns for its cows' safety.
Dive Insight:
Animals at Tyson Foods reportedly experienced behavioral or health problems, exhibiting signs of immobility before Tyson announced that it would quit using Zilmax. Cargill's announcement indicates that it has not seen similar behavior in its own cattle population, but the company obviously doesn't want to take any chances. Cargill is keeping lines of communication with Merck open, however, and Dr. Mike Siemens, Cargill’s head of animal welfare and husbandry, will be representing the company on an advisory board set up by the drugmakers.