HEALTH EDITORIAL - Looking at the
Big Picture
EDITORIAL ON
EMERGING SCIENCE – Health, Food, and Chemicals
ANTIBIOTICS AND IONOPHORES, STEROIDS,
PESTICIDES AS ENDOCRINE INTERRUPTORS
EMERGING SCIENCE –
HEALTH, FOOD AND CHEMICALS
"Looking at the
Big Picture by Roy Moore, Founder, Maverick
Ranch
As we head into the 2000’s, the speed
of science, technology and information is both mind-boggling
and often confusing. The field of health and medicine is no
exception. During the 20th century, the emphasis
has been on curing disease. Doctors are paid for curing illnesses.
In ancient times, doctors in China were paid for keeping their
patients from getting sick and their pay stopped if illness
developed. Today, preventive medicine is resurging and curing
and preventing disease are taking giant strides forward.
Anti-aging research has literally exploded
around the world. It is now generally recognized that humans
are capable of functioning and living healthy well past 100.
The emerging science of anti-aging focuses on prevention of
disease, and maintaining our endocrine system, immune system
and nervous system at youthful levels. Previously, scientists
thought reduced hormone function from the endocrine system was
a result of aging. Now the belief is that aging, in part, is
caused by declining hormone production. An evolving theory is
that if we keep youthful levels of natural hormones longer,
we age much slower. Heart attack, cancer, osteoporosis, type
II diabetes, and brain attack (stroke) generally occur after
hormone production has declined or has malfunctioned. This is
an emerging science in the fields of medicine and anti-aging.
In the 20th century, medical
schools graduated MD’s without a serious study of nutrition.
Today, we are experiencing the realization that our environment,
including the food we eat and our lifestyle in general, determines
how effectively our endocrine, immune and nervous systems function.
In other words, we can have a much greater
control over our health and quality of life. We have to take
responsibility for our own health and that of generations to
come. With the advent of the World Wide Web, we can search out
information never before available. Since information is often
controversial and sometimes incorrect, it is difficult to know
what to believe. My solution is to learn from as many sources
as possible and then make informed decisions. It’s not a perfect
solution, but it’s better than relying on only one expert whose
knowledge is very specialized. It’s your health and now is the
time for you to manage it.
As a responsible supplier of food products,
I feel we have responsibility to tell you what information we
have found and where we have found it. We also have to analyze
this information to determine the direction of Maverick Ranch
Beef and to plan for own future health.
The food we eat is the fuel that keeps
our body systems functioning. We, as humans, can be compared
to a car. If we put in the wrong fuel (such as putting diesel
in a gas engine), a car will start sputtering and die. Whereas,
with the proper fuel, and checkups, we can prolong our useful
life, just like we can an automobile engine.
Our food must consist of the proper ratio
of carbohydrates, fat and protein in order for our systems to
function properly. Minerals and vitamins also have a major impact
on all of our systems.
It is up to each of us to learn about
foods and their impact on our bodies. Sometimes the popular
information on diet, etc. is not based on good science. For
example, during the last 20 years, when carbohydrates have been
popularized, the result has been fat storage. The U.S. has the
fattest population in the world partly due to our diets and
lack of exercise. Fortunately, good information is being published
today showing how our endocrine systems store fat when an imbalance
of insulin and glucagon is produced by the pancreas as a result
of eating too many carbohydrates. Best selling books such as
"Enter the Zone" by Dr. Barry Sears and "Protein
Power" by Dr. Michael R. Eads M.D., and Mary Dan Eads M.D.,
as well as Dr. Robert Atkins’ diet books, all are based on managing
our endocrine system through the food we eat. We highly recommend
these books.
For the past 20 years, red meat has
been the scapegoat. In reality, protein, carbohydrate and fat
must be consumed in the proper balance. Much has been written
about the proper ratio of carbohydrate, fat and protein in our
diet, as it affects our health. Usually these authors are only
experts in one area.
At Maverick, we have never found anyone
who can piece together the "big picture" so we are
spending a lot of time on researching all of the factors that
contribute to the big picture.
First, we have to learn how to fuel and
guide all of the systems in our body so that we can prevent
the major diseases such as heart failure, brain failure, diabetes,
cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and others. Once
we obtain some of this knowledge, then we have to look at the
contaminants in our food and what effect they have. It’s no
different than additives or contaminants in gasoline. We finally
learned to take lead out of gasoline, which reduces air pollution.
Ironically, some nutritionists tout high fruit and vegetable
diets while others put more emphasis on protein.
However, I’ve never seen one that uses studies
on pesticides in fruits and vegetables to eliminate the fruits
and vegetables which have the largest number of chemical residues.
Some of these so-called beneficial diets could be harmful because
of the carcinogenic effect and the effect of interruption to
the immune, endocrine and nervous system and the effect on brain
function. It seems odd to me, that a diet prescribed for a cancer
patient, for example, doesn’t usually consider the level of
average pesticide contamination. Many pesticides are classed
as environmental estrogen's and mimic the effect of estrogen's
or androgens.
The correct balance of all hormones is necessary
for good health. Pesticides that are estrogen or androgen mimicking
chemicals can interrupt your natural hormone production. Both
too little and too much of any one hormone can create health
problems and can effect our offspring for generations to come.
Vegetarian diets, high in pesticides actually may create or
magnify the health and behavioral problems they are designed
to solve. Literature suggests that wildlife exposed to endocrine
interrupting chemicals in their diet and environment, experience
alteration in sexual behavior and abnormalities in genital development.
SOURCE: From the work session on chemically induced alteration
in sexual development: The Wildlife/Human Connection. Wingspread
Conference, Racine, Wisconsin, July 1991.
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Also many foods contain naturally high levels
of estrogen. For example, 3½-oz. soybean oil has 1,680,000 part
per billion of estrogen while a burger made from our beef has
less than 2 parts per billion of estrogen. Source: Dr. Harlin
Richie, University of Michigan.
What can we do? Most of us can’t become
experts in all the things we need to do to keep healthy. As
a result, we need to rely on advice from someone we that we
trust. That source of information must look at the "big
picture." It sounds complicated but really it boils down
to just a few steps.
- Learn about nutrition.
- Apply that knowledge in every meal
and every snack every day.
- Balance your protein, carbohydrate
and fat calories about equally. Several eating programs
have been described. These can be found at the websites
and books listed on our Resource Page. No one diet fits
all people. Find one that works for you.
- Learn about the purity of the food
you eat, and the supplements and medications you take. Maverick
Ranch can help you with some of this. We can send you information
from a 10-year study done by the U.S. government on 234
foods that were tested for pesticides.
AT MAVERICK RANCH, OUR MISSION IS TO PRESENT
YOU WITH DOCUMENTED FACTS THAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM IN ORDER FOR
YOU TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION WHILE LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE
---
YOUR HEALTH
YOUR
EATING PLEASURE
YOUR LONGEVITY
AT MAVERICK RANCH, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR BEEF
IS AMONG THE FOODS THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER FOR HEALTH, PLEASURE
AND LONGEVITY FOR YOURSELF AND GENERATIONS TO COME.
The next parts of this section will
summarize the facts that we believe to be true on the issues
that should effect your diet and health as it pertains to red
meat, particularly in beef.
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LOWERING
CHOLESTEROL
Quick Summary about Our Information
| Dietary cholesterol
only affects the cholesterol levels in about 1 out of
8 people. Cholesterol is necessary for life and is part
of every cell. However, cholesterol plaque can block arteries.
The good news is that a recent scientific study shows
that both lean red meat and lean white meat raise the
good cholesterol and lower the bad. The results show that
lean red meat and lean white meat in the diet can reduce
the chance of heart attack by 10%. This study will be
discussed in the following section. |
Many
Americans have been conditioned to believe that red meat is
incompatible with a heart-healthy diet. THIS IS ONE OF
AMERICA’S BIGGEST NUTRITIONAL MYTHS.
Consider these facts:
1. Red meat is one of the larger categories of certified
products in the American Heart Association Food Certification
Program.
2. A new study published June 28, 1999 in the Archives
of internal Medicine reported these facts. Three clinical
sites participated in a study: The Johns Hopkins University
Lipid Clinic, the University of Minnesota, and the Chicago
Center for Clinical Research. This clinical study found that
incorporating either LEAN RED MEAT or lean white meat into
a heart-healthy diet has the same effects in attaining favorable
levels for LDL, HDL and total cholesterol. The study showed
that both meat proteins lowered bad (LDL) and raised the good
(HDL) cholesterol. In addition, the study participants who
consumed LEAN RED MEAT were more likely to remain on the prescribed
diet than the participants consuming lean white meat diet.
This entire report is available to you when you sign up to
be a Maverick
Ranch Preferred Customer.
3. Cholesterol is produced by the liver and is an essential
component of every cell. Over-production can be controlled
by medication. It is believed that human production is affected
more by saturated fat consumption than by total dietary consumption
of cholesterol. About 1 out of 8 people are believed to be
affected by dietary consumption of cholesterol. Maverick Ranch
Beef has a reduction of fat and saturated fat of over 65%
as compared to USDA Handbook 8-13. USDA labeling requirements
for “less cholesterol” are very stringent. Maverick Ranch
provides beef products that comply with the USDA requirements.
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ANTIBIOTICS
Quick Summary about Our Antibiotic Resistance
Information
| This section
relates how antibiotic resistance develops. The beef industry
has sometimes been implicated as one of the sources of
antibiotic resistance. This section discusses antibiotic
use in the livestock industry and its link to antibiotic
use in humans. The Maverick Ranch Beef laboratory testing
program is explained and the reasons we feel this is the
best system available. Ionophores, a parasiticide used
in cattle, are often mistaken for an antibiotic. This
is discussed in depth along with the additional benefits
to consumers and the cattle industry. |
WHAT
ARE ANTIBIOTICS?
Antibiotics are substances that are produced by microorganisms
that reside in the soil. The substances produced by these
soil microorganisms will kill other microorganisms such as
bacteria and some parasites. Bacteria multiply millions of
times more rapidly than parasites. Parasites differ from bacteria
in that they primarily use a host to complete their lifecycle.
Due to the very short time from one bacteria generation to
the next - mutations and resulting genetic resistance to antibiotics
occurs more quickly and easily in bacteria than parasites.
WHAT WAS THE
FIRST ANTIBIOTIC?
Prior to World War II, it was discovered that Penicillin mold
would kill most infection-causing bacteria which prevented
many deaths caused by infection in wounds. penicillin is known
as a beta-lactam antibiotic. Today, there are many classes
of antibiotics.
WHAT IS BACTERIAL
RESISTANCE AND HOW DOES IT HAPPEN? Bacteria became resistant
to individual antibiotics through the development of specific
defense mechanisms that render them immune to the antibiotic.
Generally speaking, bacteria may become resistant to an antibiotic
by utilizing one of the following three mechanisms:
1. Prevent the antibiotic from binding with and entering
the organism. (Seen in certain resistant P. alroginosa)
2 . Produce an enzyme that inactivates the antibiotic
(i.e. beta-lactamase enzymes in the case of resistant H. influenza).
3. Change of the internal binding site of the antibiotic.
The stronger bacteria develop this process through gene mutation.
one bacteria can grow into millions in a few hours at a high
temperature. If an antibiotic is used and doesn’t kill every
bacteria, the remaining bacteria, which are multiplying, may
have a gene mutation which utilizes one of the three mechanisms
outlined above. This is why you should always finish your
prescription of antibiotics.
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CAN
BACTERIA BECOME RESISTANT TO ONE ANTIBIOTIC AND NOT OTHERS?
Yes, that is why treatment depends on the correct selection
of antibiotic. Physicians and veterinarians continue to study
resistance information and have become more adept at prescribing
antibiotics specific to each illness.
WHAT ANTIBIOTICS
ARE USED IN CATTLE PRODUCTION? CAN THEY AFFECT BACTERIAL RESISTANCE
IN HUMANS?
It is against the law for Penicillin to be used in cattle
feed at low doses because it can create resistance. Penicillin
can be given by injection in higher doses to save an animal’s
life or treat for sickness. Tetracyclines are used in humans,
and are legal to use in low doses in cattle feed. Bacterial
resistance to tetracyclines is high in humans (over 60%).
As a result, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association conducted
a campaign in the 90’s to eliminate tetracycline in cattle
feed. This has been highly effective. Surveys show that nearly
all professional cattle feeders have discontinued tetracycline
use in feeds. What do cattlemen use now to treat sick animals?
There are a variety of antibiotics approved for use in livestock
that are not approved for use in humans. One product called
“Tylan” is produced from a soil organism found only in Thailand.
This “veterinary use only” product has been used since 1961,
and is as effective today on livestock as it was then, indicating
a very slow rate of bacterial resistance.
WHAT ARE MAVERICK
RANCH’S POLICIES REGARDING ANTIBIOTICS AND WHY DOES MAVERICK
RANCH TEST it’s BEEF TO VERIFY THE ABSENCE OF ANTIBIOTICS?
Maverick Ranch permits treatment of animals to save their
lives (that is the humane thing do), but actively campaigns
against low-level doses in feeds. Maverick Ranch engages GuaranTek
Analytical Laboratories to test our beef and to eliminate
all beef from our system that tests positive for any of 16
antibiotics. we do this for the following reasons: 1. Many
people have severe allergies to antibiotics. An unknown antibiotic
could cause a reaction in perhaps 2% to 5% of the population.
2. Bacterial resistance is a severe problem in human treatment.
Bacterial resistance can transfer to other bacteria. We don’t
want our beef to contribute to any of this.
IONOPHORES
WHAT ARE IONOPHORES
AND WHAT EFFECTS DO THEY HAVE? Ionophores allow ion transfer
through a membrane and are used in many industries ranging
from metals to cattle feeds. In the cattle industry, ionophores
are often used to provide a safer product by eliminating the
targeted pesticide. There are economical benefits as well
as enhancing humane treatment. Ionophores are sometimes classified
as a parasiticide as they control one particular parasite
that burrows itself into the intestinal lining of young calves
and can kill the animal by creating internal hemorrhaging.
This specific parasite lives in the soil and can create an
epidemic. We believe the use of ionophores saves the lives
of cattle. Ionophore use in cattle feed has another important
function - it improves the digestion in the animal by enhancing
the rate of “good” microflora in the rumen (1 of 4 stomach
compartments in cattle). This improves the digestion of cellulose
(plant material) which helps make the animal healthier and
a more efficient converter of feed energy. Maverick Ranch’s
position is that ionophores are beneficial to cattle and humans
who consume the meat. We have never detected an ionophore
residue in the meat.
HORMONES
IN BEEF
Quick Summary about Our Hormones
in Beef Information
| We hope
to provide you with many little known facts about hormones
in beef in this section. All plants and animals produce
hormones. For example, some vegetables are a much greater
source of estrogen than beef. You will learn that a
serving of cabbage has 1000 times as much estrogen than
a serving of beef from a steer that has received an
estrogen implant. We explain the truths about growth
promotant issues. You will find the reasons are quite
different than you might expect. The real issues surrounding
the EU (European Union) ban of U.S. beef are discussed.
Maverick Ranch rewards producers for using genetic superiority
rather than growth promotants. Maverick Ranch tests
each beef for both synthetic hormone and normal hormone
levels.
The
reasons will surprise you:
1. To catch human error
2. To eliminate “non natural occurring” residues
3. To help improve eating quality
4. To eliminate cattle that have altered hormone
production due to the influence of unknown pesticides
and other environmental endocrine distrupters. |
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BACKGROUND
All plants and animals produce hormones. They are essential
for life and control many aspects of metabolism, growth and
sex related characteristics. When hormones are in the correct
balance, people have a better chance for good health and longevity.
When nature’s balance is altered or interrupted, some side
effects can occur. Humans produce over 100 substances which
are various types of hormones, among them natural steroids
and eiconosoids. Some of these act as messengers to cell receptors.
If not functioning correctly, the wrong message can be sent
to the cells. Two major groups of natural anabolic steroids
are estrogens and androgens. Males and females (both in humans
and animals) produce both types. In a female, estrogens predominate
and in a male, androgens predominate. The best known androgen
is testosterone. An example of an estrogen is estradiol. Many
man-made chemicals have molecular structures that are similar
to natural hormones. They may be so close in molecular structure
that they can mimic natural hormones or interrupt the natural
production and balance. For example, there are 65 man-made
chemicals that are listed by the EPA (Environmental Protection
Agency), World Wildlife Federation, or the Center for Disease
Control. Many of these chemicals are used as pesticides, but
affect our endocrine (hormone) system and brain function.
We cover this in the pesticide section of this site.
NATURAL HORMONES
IN CATTLE
Cattle, like people, and to a certain extent plants, produce
estrogens and androgens. However, because a 1200 lb. beef
animal is much larger than something small, like a potato
or soybean, the proportion in beef is hundreds and thousands
times smaller.
A 3 1/2 oz portion
of steer beef has only 1.3 nanograms of estrogen. A steer
that has received an estrogen implant only has 1.9 nanograms
of estrogen per 4 oz serving. Compare this to a potato that
has 245 nanograms of estrogen. If we compare soybean oil to
beef fat, the soybean oil has over 1,000,000 times as much
estrogen in the same amount of sample. For your reference,
a nanogram is one-billionth of a gram which is analogous to
one blade of grass in an entire football field. When we change
nature, we can affect hormone balances in plants and animals.
For example, a
noncastrated bull produces 1000 times more testosterone and
estrogen than a steer (castrated animal). As a bull grows
normally, the hormone balance provides normal male characteristics
such as converting feed energy to muscle instead of fat. Additionally,
a bull is very aggressive by nature because of the higher
hormone levels. This aggressiveness leads to stress, and stress
causes higher levels of cholesterol in the beef. Bulls often
become so aggressive that they can be dangerous to be around,
whereas steers are more docile, like females.
When we make a
steer out of a bull calf, his hormone production is lowered
and the steer takes on a metabolism similar to a female. Steers
put on more body fat than bulls. Twenty years ago, beef was
much fatter than it is today. Steer beef used to have more
fat than protein and these steers often had 2-3 inches of
backfat and the meat was loaded with marbling. USDA Prime
beef was very bad for your heart on a regular basis. This
is why beef got a bad rap from the nutritional information
published by the USDA.
Compare this to
the Maverick Ranch cattle of today that only average 1/4 inch
of backfat and have much smaller and fewer fat cells within
the red meat. There are two reasons for these changes. First,
U.S. cattlemen started importing European cattle breeds of
genetically leaner cattle to America in the 60’s. Traditionally
and prior to 1965, English breeds, which arehigher in fat,
predominated the market. The newly imported breeds from continental
Europe dramatically changed the beef industry due to their
lower internal fat content. Secondly, “hormone” implants were
developed and APPROVED BY THE FDA over 30 years ago.
The first implants
were estrogenic, and in 1987, androgens were also approved
by the FDA for use in cattle. What researches found is that
a steer or spayed female puts on too much fat and does not
deposit as much muscle (red meat). They also found that replacing
a very small amount of natural hormone that had been taken
away had the same effect as exercise. The metabolism is stimulated
and feed energy is converted more to red meat than fat. This
provides a nutritionally superior product and a faster gaining
animal. Muscle is more dense and weighs about twice as much
as fat. Therefore, the cattle producer had a better animal
that produced leaner beef and also gained weight faster.
Consumers were
demanding this leaner product that was better for their health.
As a new term, the phrase “growth promotant” was coined and
this somehow had a bad effect. We want to emphasize that an
implanted steer still gains weight and grows about 25% slower
than a bull because the implanted steer has less than 1% as
much natural male hormone levels when compared to a bull.
We’ve had numerous consumers call us concerned about hormone
levels in beef. They did not realize that 99% or more of their
daily estrogen intake is from fruits, vegetables and grains.
There is nothing
wrong with estrogen from these items unless your estrogen
balance is already out of kilter with other hormones. When
that imbalance happens, we are much more likely to have disease
and premature aging.
Source:Bar Diamond Laboratories
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WHY THE CONTROVERSY
ABOUT HORMONE IMPLANTS IN CATTLE?
The controversy was started in two places, even though there
was no scientific basis. In 1979, one branded beef company
created a way to sell beef by niche marketing. By the 1980’s,
a lot of natural beef companies, including ourselves, felt
that natural beef was what the public wanted. In developing
our natural beef program, we felt that we could provide a
tasty, high quality beef by using genetically superior cattle
and testing all the beef in our program for the absence of
artificial steroids, antibiotics, pesticides and growth promotants.
About the same time, the EU banned U.S. beef in Europe.
This was, in reality,
a trade barrier designed to keep U.S. beef from entering Europe
and putting a greater burden on European governments who subsidize
cattle production in their own countries. More beef from the
United States in Europe meant more cash subsidization for
European cattle producers by their governments.
European scientists
have never been able to identify any harmful effects in humans
from eating U..S. raised beef. The practice in Europe is to
use bull beef rather than steer beef and the natural hormone
levels of European beef is actually much higher than in the
U.S. One TV program reported that the beef that had received
growth promotants caused early maturity in children in South
America. This was reported without any scientific fact to
back up their story. Scientists later proved the story incorrect.
WHAT IS MAVERICK
RANCH’S POSITION ON HORMONE IMPLANTS IN CATTLE?
First, you need to know that 14 drug companies produce FDA
approved implants. These are all estrogenic or androgenic
compounds. In general, these are small pellets, slightly larger
than a pin head, and are implanted in the middle back of the
animal’s ear. These implants are gradually released over a
60 to 200 day period and in effect, stimulate the animal’s
metabolism.
All scientific
studies prove there is zero risk to humans, and laboratory
tests consistently support this finding. Although safe to
humans, Maverick Ranch’s policy is that we are opposed to
some of the implants and provide an economic incentive to
discourage use. In 1995, several strong androgen implants
became popular. If used, they tend to make steers a little
more like bulls, and some of the beef becomes too lean to
qualify for USDA Select or Choice grade which are the USDA
grades that Maverick Ranch uses. Colorado State University
has recently completed a study that shows that several implant
strategies not only reduce USDA grade, but they make the beef
so lean that it decreases tenderness and palatability.
Since it is important
for a branded beef program to have the best possible eating
qualities, we respond by simply not buying cattle that have
been managed in a way that creates poor eating quality. Genetic
improvement throught genetic breeding for leanness in cattle
has been so great that hormone implants have lost their economic
edge by creating more cattle that “won’t grade” USDA Choice
and Select.
Our Maverick Ranch
system is blessed with the fact that we have an abundance
of producers, so we can buy beef based on rigid requirements,
which continue to get more stringent in order to ensure that
our beef remains tasty and tender.
Since we permit
certain natural implants and analyze each management system
individually, we are often asked “Why do you still test
for hormones in the laboratory?”
We test because
we realize that each animal responds differently and we want
to make sure that there are no unintentional human mistakes
which would result in a detectable residue. Producers must
follow FDA rules and Maverick Ranch’s rules as well. We feel
that if any man-made steroid can be detected, we can’t represent
the beef as natural. Also, all natural hormone levels have
to be within a safe range; it doesn’t appear that the animals
own endocrine system was functioning abnormally. (Exceeds
levels taken from the Code of Federal Regulations 21 CFR Sec.
556.240) Therefore,
if we detect an antibiotic, man-made steroid, any unusual
hormone level, or any chemical in our test for over 50 substances,
THAT BEEF IS REJECTED.
There is no way
we can test for every possible chemical influence, as there
are over 80,000 chemicals used in the world today. However,
we can and do test for the substances that we believe are
likely to occur. Sometimes, over 30% of the cattle are rejected.
When that happens, we have to eliminate some producer’s cattle
and allow new producers to enter the program. Our producer
requirements and restrictions are listed in the section for
producers. We have one final reason for checking natural hormone
levels in a laboratory.
There are 65 known
and perhaps as many as 150 chemicals in our environment that
can disrupt the endocrine systems of humans and cattle. When
this happens, certain hormones can be in overabundance. While
we check our beef for the 32 chemicals that can disrupt an
animal’s systems, we wonder about the ones of which we have
no knowledge. By testing and eliminating animals with hormone
levels above a certain point, we can automatically remove
animals that had endocrine systems altered by some chemical
residues that come from air, water and soil pollution other
than the chemicals for which we test.
A LABORATORY
TESTING SYSTEM, LIKE OURS, IS THE ONLY WAY TO PRODUCE TRULY
VERIFIABLE NATURAL BEEF THAT WE BELIEVE EXCEEDS ORGANIC STANDARDS.
Some organic standards permit direct pesticide use that is
necessary, but leaves no way to test and reject animals that
are overdosed or have a detectable residue.
NUTRITIONAL
INFORMATION
In the past, beef has been portrayed negatively by the media
and some nutritional diets and programs. The USDA publishes
Handbook 8-13 which contains nutritional data on beef. We
believe that the handbook doesn’t take into consideration
the modern lean cattle of today. This data has only been updated
a few times in the last 50 years. The current printed material
is old. They quit printing hard copy of the information, because
the volume would be so large and frequently changes. There
is current (1998) info on the web available to consumers upon
request.
Their website is
www.nalusda.gov/fnic/index.html
or phone 1-301-734-8491. For a look at Maverick Ranch’s lean
nutritionals, click here.
Today’s Maverick
Ranch Beef, in most of our popular cuts, has nutritional values
that exceed most fish and chicken. When you consider pesticides
and pathogenic bacteria, Maverick Ranch Beef is one of the
safest meat products on the market.
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ANIMAL
RIGHTS AND HUMANE TREATMENT OF ANIMALS
By Roy Moore
Founder of Maverick Ranch Beef
I
consider myself to be an advocate of animal rights and an advocate
of protecting the environment, which includes the entire ecosystem.
I’m also a cattleman. Animals were part of the ecosystem before
man. In the development of the ecosystem, species evolve and
disappear. This is natural. All species’ survival is at the
expense of other species. It has been that way since the first
one-cell organism started on this planet. However, the current
rate of species extinction is alarming.
Man is no exception,
as we survive at the expense of other species. we have wild
animals and domestic animals. Only 80 years ago, domestic animals
provided most of the world’s transportation. People and animals
have a very special and close relationship. Humans, as the most
highly developed species, have the responsibility to care for
and protect many other species. A century ago, we all had horses
and cared for them.
Today, as cattlemen,
we still have our horses, and we spend every working day taking
care of our cattle. We must also care for the growing and harvesting
of our crops and natural grasses. Before domestic animals, man
was a hunter. Animals and man are a part of the ecosystem, and
it is man’s responsibility to protect that ecosystem. If any
part of this system gets out of balance, then other parts suffer.
Let’s look at what
would happen if cattle were allowed to run free and were never
harvested. This is the case in countries where cattle are protected
by religious beliefs. Cattle consume the vegetation, which can
cause starvation of the people. The cattle population is eventually
controlled by disease epidemics. Let’s look at some of the facts
about the cattle business.
First of all, people
who are in the cattle business today are in it for the way of
life --- because it is not a very profitable business. Most
ranchers raise livestock because they truly enjoy taking care
of animals. As a small boy, I remember my mother “thawing out”
newborn calves that had been born on a cold Wyoming night by
putting them in warm water in the bathtub. I smile remembering
by dad hauling sick sheep in the backseat of his brand new car.
(And what my mother had to say about that). I remember almost
losing my dad when he tried to save some animals from nature’s
elements. We knew of ranchers that did die this way.
What happens if these
animals are not harvested? Overgrazing occurs and many species
suffer. Erosion of the soil can occur and can cause many problems.
Today, cattle ranching takes the most concentrated effort of
managing the ecosystem of anything I know. In the West, where
from 20% to 97% of the land is owned by the Federal Government,
there is concern about cattle grazing. There can be too much
and there can be too little. Experiments have been conducted
on what happens when the cattle are removed. Eventually, the
feed becomes unpalatable and wildlife declines. I get upset
when I am in a highly populated city and see no yards for pets
to run free and exercise. I’m a big believer in “space” and
“running free”.
I don’t believe
animals should be forced to live in a barn, a house, an apartment
or even a small feedlot. I would never keep a bird in a cage.
But the people who often complain about the treatment of livestock
don’t realize that the cowboy who takes care of them often risks
his life to save an animal. Consider the harvesting of animals.
Whether it is an animal, a plant, a fish or a bird, each has
its place in the ecosystem, and a time on this earth. It’s no
different than the people who work at animal or humane shelters.
These establishments
find homes for domestic pets, but they also have to euthanize
many of the animals that end up there. What would happen if
these animal shelters and subsequent euthanasia didn’t exist?
The streets could be full of packs of hungry dogs and cats that
could spread disease. I’ve been a lot of places and seen a lot
of things in my lifetime, and I think most cattle are cared
for better by ranchers than some domestic pets. I feel that
ranchers like myself have a pretty soft heart. We spend our
lives taking care of those we love --- our families and our
animals. It’s just that we have more animals than most folks.
When my favorite
bull, “Jet” died of old age, we buried him standing up in a
deep pit. I had a bronze headstone made for him that read: “Jet”
1974 - 1985 The bull that started the Salers breed in the U.S.
and changed the entire beef industry.” To us, “Jet” was a part
of the family - just like your dog, cat, horse, etc.
BY-PRODUCTS OF
THE CATTLE INDUSTRY
There are 275 products including many life saving pharmaceuticals
as well as women’s cosmetics made from the livestock industry.
Some economists estimate that the world economy would fail in
90 days if livestock by-products were removed. Have you ever
wondered where 2 of the most important pharmaceuticals, insulin
and premarin, come from? The livestock industry produces these
and many others. Of course, you think of leather shoes, clothes
and purses. Here is a list of just a few of the other products
which are made from cattle by-products along with other ingredients
as well.
| Pharmaceuticals
Cameras and film
Tires
Marshmallows
Toothpaste
Pet food |
Book bindings
Football helmets
Fishing line
Candy
Mouthwash
Crayons |
Detergent
PVC pipe
Soap
Peptic ulcer medicine
Skis
Paints |
Bone meal
Baked breads, etc.
Ice Cream
Gelatin products |
Antifreeze
Candles
Collagen
Wallpaper |
Weatherstripping
Reduced fat cookies
Yogurt
X-ray film |
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MAD
COW DISEASE AND ANIMAL PROTEINS IN CATTLE FEED
Quick
Summary on BSE and Animal Proteins in Cattle Feeds
| Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE) occurred in Great Britain and was dubbed
“Mad Cow Disease” by the press. BSE is one of a family of
TSE’s (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathes) that affects
sheep, cattle, deer, elk and humans. These diseases are
believed to be caused by a prion (protein) substance found
in the brain. At the time, scientists thought it had been
passed from sheep to cattle and could be the cause of CJD
in humans. Subsequent studies have proven this is not the
case. This
can’t happen because of the difference between animal and
human prions. |
Maverick
Ranch does not permit animal proteins in cattle feeds. We know
of no professional feed lots where animal proteins are fed to
cattle. What about BSE? (dubbed “Mad Cow Disease” by the press).
This problem was caused in Europe. by the feeding of animal
by-products. Maverick Ranch does not permit the use of animal
proteins in cattle feed. This is not difficult as we do not
know of anyone in the beef industry in the U.S. who is using
animal by-products in cattle feed.
Some of the branded
beef programs have made an issue of this, and would lead you
to believe that they are special and that possibly this is a
common practice in the industry. This misconception was created
by the media who reported that a single farmer fed chicken manure
to his cattle. We have seen hundreds of professional feeding
programs, without ever seeing a single instance of this practice
in the professional cattle feeding industry. In 1995, the British
Ministry of Health startled the food and medical worlds when,
despite any scientific evidence, it reported a possible link
between BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) in cattle and
CJD (Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease) in humans. These diseases are
part of a family of diseases called TSE’s (Transmissible Spongiform
Encephalopathies) that affect humans, deer, elk, cattle and
sheep.
These diseases (TSE’s)
are rare degenerative diseases of the brain and spinal cords.
Little is known about them but they are believed to be caused
by neither viruses nor bacteria. The causative agent, which
has only been found in brains or spinal cords of affected animals
appears to be a prion (protein) material. In the cattle in England
that had the disease, it was determined that the muscle and
fat did not contain the causative agent - only the brain and
spinal cords.
In other words,
people might have been able to eat this beef and probably did
without effect. BSE has NEVER been found in cattle
in the United States. However, in the early 1900’s,TSE’s existed
in the U.S in sheep as a disease known as scrapies. TSE’s exist
in the U.S. in deer and elk and is known as “chronic wasting
disease”. There is no known link to humans even though a lot
of people ate lamb in the early 1900’s when the scrapies outbreaks
in sheep occurred.
Chronic wasting disease
in deer and elk has not been linked to humans either. Again,
scientific evidence shows a small protein (prion) molecule in
the brain of infected animals. “Prion” is a generic term and
different species of animals have different brain cell prion
(proteins). Humans have entirely different shaped prion protein
cells. Cattle and sheep have similar shaped cells. An infected
prion is one that has a distorted shape.
Some scientists believe
a distorted prion could affect a similar but undistorted prion.
The leading scientific thinking today is that human and cattle
brain cell prions are so dissimilar that one could not affect
the other. All this makes for a lot of press scares, and nothing
sells more press than something frightening about the food we
eat.
Researching this
subject has been very interesting as some of the literature
links “chronic wasting disease” in deer and elk. Data links
this disease as possibly coming from environmental chemicals
such as aerial forest sprays to control bugs that can decimate
our forests. There is no clear clue as to what causes CJD in
humans. This disease affects about 1 out of every million people.
One of the logical places might be to look at exposure of CJD
victims to man-made chemicals and specifically at organophosphate
pesticides since they also have some similar effects on the
central nervous system.
One might imagine
that many restaurants in England might not serve the popular
English breakfast dish, brains and scrambled eggs anymore. The
whole scare was caused by an unfounded and unproven theory that
should have had a more thorough scientific investigation. The
most up-to date information in the industry on the subject of
BSE is at the following website. www.beef.org/librfacts/resource
index.htm. You will find this site most informative.
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