(Reuters) — American drug maker Merck & Co. said today it is temporarily suspending sales of its Zilmax animal feed additive in the United States and Canada.
The moves comes after concerns were raised about use of the product, which is given to increase cattle weight before slaughter.
Zilmax has been the focus of attention since Tyson Foods Inc. announced last week it will no longer accept Zilmax-fed cattle for slaughter.
Reuters reported earlier this week that a second major meat packer, JBS USA, at a cattle industry conference had presented a video from a JBS plant showing cattle having difficulty walking after they were fed beta-agonist drugs, additives that speed weight gain in animals. Zilmax is the leading commercial brand of beta-agonist.
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Merck said its decision will allow the company time to implement its plan announced Aug. 13 to establish study protocols, identify feeders and packers to participate in its audit while creating a third-party team to oversee the process and validate its results.
Merck said today it remains confident in the safety of the product, which had sales of $159 million US last year in the United States and Canada. But the company added it will conduct an audit of how it is used “from the feedyard to the packing plant.” The product is sold by Merck’s animal health unit.
Also on Friday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it was working with Merck and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to gather information on Zilmax and determine if it poses a safety issue.
Livestock analysts said they were surprised by Merck’s decision because the company’s earlier move to address concerns about Zilmax had not included a sales halt.
“They laid out a strategy in the last few days that did not include suspension,” said Jim Robb, director of the Livestock Marketing Information Center.
The halt in sales will not cause a major disruption in North American beef production if producers switch to Optaflexx, a less-potent growth promoter sold by Eli Lilly and Co’s Elanco animal health unit, Robb said.
“It’s up in the air and it depends on the producers’ response,” he said. “That’s unfolding even as we speak.”
The use of Zilmax drew increased scrutiny after Tyson said on Aug. 7 it would stop purchases of cattle fed the popular feed additive after some animals arrived at its packing plants having difficulty walking or moving.
Tyson, the country’s biggest meat processor, said it does not know what was behind the animals’ behaviour, but company executives said that animal health experts have suggested that the use of Zilmax may be a cause.
A spokesman for Tyson was not available to comment.
Following Tyson’s decision to stop buying cattle fed with Zilmax, Merck defended its product. The drug company said in a statement today that tests have proven that Zilmax is safe. Merck also said it was working with Tyson to resolve questions about the drug.
