Dive Brief:
- South Korean inspectors say they found evidence of the use of zilpaterol in cattle from JBS USA.
- Zilpaterol is a growth-enhancing drug that is banned in much of Asia and Europe, but used in the U.S. to create a growth burst in the weeks before an animal is slaughtered.
- The discovery comes just weeks after Taiwan said it had found zilpaterol in beef from the U.S.
- Zilpaterol is among the more controversial drugs given to cattle in the U.S. A video surfaced in August showing cattle appearing disoriented, distressed and unable to walk after being given the drug.
Dive Insight:
It seems clear that the U.S. beef industry is in need of fundamental reforms. Negative publicity about the grotesque nature of concentrated animal feeding operations and other forms of cruelly have turned off American consumers. The continued use of a cornucopia of drugs to fatten animals has led to bans on sales to Russia, China and most of Europe and Asia. There are some indications that the meat industry is starting to get the message. But the truth is that the U.S. lags far, far, far behind the rest of the world on these issues.
