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Bovine Growth Hormones in Beef


Zeb

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The simple reply to this far too easy, the use of growth hormones and antibiotics is far from illegal. This has been going on for a long time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beef_hormone_controversy

To understand the beef, you have to understand the industry, especially locally. Dairy farmers have to breed a cow at least once for her to produce milk. Often (50/50?) they produce bulls/males which are of no use to dairy farmers. They wait a couple of months until the bull is "weaned", this is a natural process. The young bulls are then sold to local farmers who raise them in their fields, no use for hormones (this will not effect the price very much) . The farmers know that fresh, uncrowded pastures will create healthy bulls, without the cost of antibiotics and supplements (which many could barely afford anyways). Then it is time to sell them. What you have at this point is naturally raised beef, but too old to be considered veal. They sell them to the U.S.A. and northern Mexico, which turn them over to feedlots. The sole purpose of a feedlot to fatten an animal as quickly as possible. they are often very crowded and require medicine to prevent infections. Any advantage is sought- legal hormones as listed above, GMO modified and heavily subsidized U.S. sweet corn, waste molasses, you name it and it has been tried. Then the bulls are sold to the meat packers, and comes back to Mexico to Costco as those big fatty chunks of beef so many enjoy. It has traveled a long way to come back to Chapala.

Some of the farmers sell their young bulls to local butcher shops. For human consumption all the beef and pork must be inspected and stamped. Locally at the Municipal slaughterhouse down by Soriana in Chapala. There is another one near Guadalajara which specializes in fear free slaughter - apparently some people can taste the adrenalin in a stressed out place. The local carnecerias put the side of beef in their meat lockers and begin selling it within a couple of days. In the U.S and Canada is normal to age beef at least 14 days. The big trend in the U.S. right now is to "dry age" beef for up to 45 days -but this is expensive. So the beef we buy, and enjoy, locally has very little fat content and no hormones etc. The problem is that it is tough, and rather tasteless. You have to adapt to Mexican cooking styles where the beef is sliced very thin and flash broiled or it becomes part of like a stew or chile, cooked a long time. A good place to start is the family run carneceria across from Soriana. Ask for a piece of Filet (which is the thick section attached to Filet Mignon). Ask them to slice it very thin. Then you can flash fry it, or now as we enter the colder months, make a soup and the dip the Filet pieces into the boiling broth until they are pink and tender, usually with chopsticks -but there are no rules. At the end, you add noodles to the soup and serve it in bowls. This is very popular in Asia, especially Japan (Shabu Shabu) and Korea. This carneceria also sells freshly killed chicken, but you have to be fast, it sells out pretty early, because the lady only brings what she can sell for the day, and the local ladies want to get their Caldo de Pollo going for comida.

So there you go Zeb -as close as you are going to find chemical free chicken and beef.

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The illegal use of Clenbuterol in Mexico to to build muscle tissue in beef cattle before slaughter is a widespread problem. There have been several scandals in recent years among sports teams and figures testing positive for this substance (spelled Clembuterol in Spanish) who claimed they ingested it by eating beef tacos from street vendors in Mexico.

Clenbuterol from the Wikipedia

But a more serious problem might be beef contaminated with horse meat. Horses in particular are fed a wide range of medications that should not be consumed by humans, including dewormers, high-power analgesics, and colic treatments.

Horse meat found in Mexican beef

Buy organic beef from a source you trust, or beef you know has been sourced from the US or Canada.

FWIW,

Don

 

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2 hours ago, Don Anomino said:

The illegal use of Clenbuterol in Mexico to to build muscle tissue in beef cattle before slaughter is a widespread problem. There have been several scandals in recent years among sports teams and figures testing positive for this substance (spelled Clembuterol in Spanish) who claimed they ingested it by eating beef tacos from street vendors in Mexico.

Clenbuterol from the Wikipedia

But a more serious problem might be beef contaminated with horse meat. Horses in particular are fed a wide range of medications that should not be consumed by humans, including dewormers, high-power analgesics, and colic treatments.

Horse meat found in Mexican beef

Buy organic beef from a source you trust, or beef you know has been sourced from the US or Canada.

FWIW,

Don

 

I don't know a trusted source.  That's why I posted the question.  The beef sourced from the US (to my knowledge) is full of growth hormones and anti-biodics unless it is labeled organic. The USDA is not to be trusted.  This much I do know as they allow toxins to be added to our foods.   If you have a recommendation for this area, that would be great.

Now you mention beef contaminated with horse meat. I did not know about this.   Are you referred to ground beef in this case?  I am thinking maybe it would not be if it was a cut of meat.

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As a little kid, my favorite snack was a hamburger and I learned how to make my own when my mother was out riding her horse.  As I am older than plastic, our ground meats came in waxed cardboard tube containers with fitted tops; hamburger for us and horsemeat for the dog. Unfortunately, my mother seldom labeled them. I guess she just knew where she put them in the ice box (yes, it used ice blocks off the ice truck, and the ice house was only a mile away.)  As a result, I recall being scolded for using the wrong product, but never understood why. I thought the horsemeat was tastier than the hamburger.  These days, if I can get it, I really like bisonburgers.  Maybe it is because the horses and the bison are grass fed; not raised on feed lots, etc.  Of course, in those days we cooked with lard, and that makes a big difference with lean meats.  Margarine came along later, in those newfangled bags with the yellow button that had to be popped and kneaded to turn the white stuff yellow; a kid-chore.

For those who wonder: My cholesterol is now down to 112 and I eat whatever I want, so no lectures, please.  I have a vegan daughter, and I ignore her.

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Want to mention that I did go to the butcher opposite Soriana and purchased some beef.  I inquired about the source and was told they raise what they sell.  Have not eaten it as of yet.  It is in the freezer for future use.

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59 minutes ago, MtnMama said:

Maria Elaina at the Tuesday Market sells "organic beef". Not feedlot, not inexpensive but worth it if you have concerns. She also sells chicken and pork, and another vendor at the Market sells lamb.

Other than take her word, does she have some acceptable "proof" that is uncontestable? Too ,many know how to play "the Gringo Game" here.

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9 hours ago, Artlife said:

Sonora meats says they do not use any hormones or antibiotics. Up until recently, I only bought meats at Costco. No more, now I only buy beef at Sonora. The quality is higher and the prices are lower. 

Never heard of Sonora.  Where is this?

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20 hours ago, jrm30655 said:

I'm 70.  Everything I like my doctor says is bad for me.  

I no longer care what it is or what is in it.  If it tastes good, I eat it.  If it doesn't I don't.

 

 

Keep it up, JRM.  I have maintained that approach for 80 years now, and am not inclined to change.   ;)

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19 hours ago, Hud said:

Other than take her word, does she have some acceptable "proof" that is uncontestable? Too ,many know how to play "the Gringo Game" here.

The vendors at the Tuesday Market are thoroughly vetted and checked. While actual organic certification is expensive and unrealistic for most small businesses, Juan and Laticia are very strict and have discontinued allowing more than one vendor for unacceptable practices. The whole market does not claim to be totally organic, but the fresh food vendors are pretty darn close.

So it's up to you. Buy meat from small local farmers that is fresh and healthy or buy meat from WalMart that contains who knows what additives and is sprayed to look fresh. Your choice.

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6 hours ago, El Saltos said:

Maggie Guadet sells her organic beef and lamb at the Monday market.  Excellent!  She raises it locally.

Lamb should not be tough in any of it's cuts. Have only found one source for true lamb and it's not at any of the markets.  I used to buy at a certain butcher as well until 3 times in a row it was tough. did you also know that certain cuts of goat are the same size as lamb but the goats butchered here are even older than some of this alleged lamb.

 

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