http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2010/04/14/mexico-rejects-us-beef-as-unsafe/Mexico Rejects US Beef as Unsafe (so they fed it to us)
In 2008, a large shipment of export beef from American cattle ranches was rejected by Mexican health authorities and returned to the US. The reason: copper found in the beef exceeded safe levels for human consumption. The rejected beef was then sold to consumers back home in the states. Legally.
Say again?
Turns out that the US has not gotten around to define safety levels for certain harmful substances potentially found in beef, mostly residue chemicals. How did a nation of burger loving, steak chomping meat lovers reach this point?
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What you need to know:
How do high levels of copper, arsenic, and penicillin get into beef in the first place? This is the unfortunate result of modern day, factory farm growing methods. Cows for years have been raised not on a pasture but rather in close confinement, eating surplus corn instead of grass, thus developing digestive problems that are treated with copious amounts of antibiotics. Add hormones for quick growth, heavy metals in drinking water from nearby factories, pesticide residues from neighboring farms, and you’ve got a symphony of chemicals waiting to be unleashed into the human body with each bite of that T-bone steak.
By the way, Mexico is not the only country finding US beef objectionable. Japan, for the last 7 years has been severely restricting the import of American beef. The reason – fear of mad cow disease as a result of sub-par US feeding methods.
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The lobbies representing huge cattle factories make sure that Congress does not impose too many restrictions and inspections which would obviously result in increased “manufacturing” costs. A spokesperson for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said “Beef farmers and ranchers pride themselves on producing a safe and wholesome product, and anything less is unacceptable.” Right.
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I didn't post the last paragraph about what to do at the grocery because it is sexist.