News
Cargill reduces antibiotic use in beef cattle
Cargill has announced it is eliminating 20 percent of shared-class antibiotics—those deemed important for human medicine and farm animals—from it cattle feeding operations.
Cargill spokesman Mike Martin says the move comes after Cargill evaluated both existing third-party research and research the company previously conducted regarding antibiotic use.
“We determined that we could eliminate 20 percent of the antibiotics used and maintain the health of the animals without any adverse impact to their well-being,” Martin says.
The type of antibiotic being reduced is the Macrolide class, which includes erythromycin. Martin says the impact of the reduction is being offset by a combination of actions at the feedlots, “everything from types of feed, the components of the feed, the overall feed ration, timing of the elimination of antibiotics.”
Martin says the 20 percent reduction is as far as they can go at the present time, given the current technology available.
“Our hope would be that in the future, as more options are explored and more technologies are developed, that we may be able to go beyond that,” he says, “but at this point, for the well-being of the animals, we can’t go beyond 20 percent.”
Martin says customer and consumer input played a key role in the decision.
“One of the other factors that drove our decision is providing consumers with choice–a variety of products ranging from antibiotic-free to conventionally raised beef,” Martin says. “Our antibiotic-free offering is through a partner company that raises cattle which we harvest at our plants.”
The move impacts Cargill’s four feedyards in Texas, Kansas and Colorado and four additional feedyards operated by Friona Industries, a business partner that supplies Cargill with cattle.
AUDIO: Mike Martin
Add Comment