Alberta’s reputation as a world-class meat producer remains intact even
though some southern Alberta feedlots are feeding their cattle corn
instead of barley, says the president of Canada’s beef export agency.
“Through a visual inspection it’s virtually impossible to tell the
different between beef that has been fed corn or barley,” said Ted
Haney of the Canada Beef Export Federation.
Many feedlots switched to corn to save money.
Haney once believed cattle fed corn produced meat with yellow fat,
Read Also
Phosphate prices to remain high
Phosphate prices are expected to remain elevated, according to Mosaic’s president.
while barley-fed beef had more desirable, pure white fat.
“I had a perception the difference between corn and barley-fed beef was
much greater than I now know it to be,” said Haney.
During a tour of Japan last year, Haney asked a group of Alberta beef
producers to identify the Alberta barley-fed beef from American and
Ontario corn-fed beef. They picked the U.S. corn-fed beef.
Cindy Delaloye, general manager of the Canadian Beef Grading Agency,
said she was concerned when she learned corn had replaced barley in
many feedlot rations.
The agency’s meat graders, who visually inspect and grade beef
carcasses at packing plants, expected to see a higher percentage of
carcasses with yellow fat.
“The graders knew corn was being fed and we were expecting to see it,
but they didn’t,” said Delaloye.
The number of carcasses downgraded to a B3 grade because of yellow fat
has not increased from the previous year when little corn was fed to
Alberta beef.
In 2001, only 2,833 carcasses, less than one percent of all the cattle
graded in Canada, were given the B3 grade.
Ed Thiessen, of Namaka Farms, a 26,000-head feedlot in Strathmore,
Alta., was worried packing plants would bid less for cattle fed corn.
He contacted the packers for assurance the beef wouldn’t be downgraded
before he switched from barley to a 50-50 barley and corn ration.
Marty Carpenter, Alberta Beef Producers food services manager, said no
Canadian chefs have complained to him about the corn-fed beef.
“They’re a fussy bunch to start with. I’d have heard something if there
was a problem,” said Carpenter.
