Market brief
beef marbling
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — Cheaper feed and the removal of a feed additive are bringing U.S. beef lovers juicier steaks.
However, it leaves the industry wondering whether to muscle up cattle before slaughter or aim for more fat, which enhances flavour.
The industry has depended on growth promoters known as beta-agonists to increase production as a way to counter the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 63 years.
However, these additives largely pack on muscle, not tastier fat that produces “marbling” and helps push the carcass into the U.S. government’s top Choice category.
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For the week ending Sept. 13, cattle Choice carcasses were up 2.3 percentage points from a year ago at 64.7 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but fewer carcasses graded Select, the next lower quality category.
Part of the improvement in quality is because of increased use of corn, which is cheap because of a record harvest. As well, cattle have been fattened slowly on grass as pastures recover from years of drought.
Another factor leading to fattier meat was Merck & Co.’s removal of Zilmax, a potent growth enhancer, in the summer of 2013. Alternative beta-agonists don’t pack on as much muscle.
“If you take Zilmax out of the equation, and you have cheap corn, the two together gives you cattle that are going to grade better,” said John Nalivka, president of Sterling Marketing Inc. in Oregon, whose clients include packers and feedlot operators.
Some leading meat packers, including Tyson Foods and Cargill, stopped using Zilmax last year, citing animal welfare regarding cases of cattle with difficulty walking.
Cargill chalks up better grading to improved genetics, longer feed times and more affordable feed.
Company spokesperson Mike Martin said in an e-mail that more study is needed to determine whether there is a direct correlation between better beef quality and Zilmax removal.
