Enhancing cattle

Enhancing cattle

I have to say it again – it’s just crazy!

Allow cattle to spend their entire lives grazing in open fields, and you’ll produce meat that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). But the levels of both these nutrients drop when cattle are raised in confined spaces and force-fed corn to fatten them up.

That latter, inferior method produces nearly all the beef that’s available in commercial grocery stores.

But the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has a plan to beef up the nutrition in Canadian beef. According to a report in The Edmonton Journal, “The meat will be enhanced with bioactive fatty acids.”

Enhanced. You’ve got to love it. And hate it!

They raise the cattle in a manner that strips the meat of nutrients, and then prod the government for a grant (more than $300,000) devoted to nutrition “enhancement.”

The Edmonton Journal report was low on details, but this enhancement method could very well involve genetic engineering.

In the e-Alert “Cattle Logic” (6/6/07), I told you about a Texas plan to genetically alter a type of cattle to produce CLA, which the animals would produce naturally if they were raised properly.

As I said: crazy! And that’s putting it mildly.

You can find more information about how CLA intake promotes lean body mass in “Cattle Logic” at this link: http://www.hsionline.com/ealerts/ea200706/ea20070606a.html

Sources:
“Cattlemen’s Association Plans Pilot Project on ‘Healthy’ Beef Products” The Edmonton Journal, 12/15/07, canada.com