Mcdonalds Beef

[cattlejunky]

>>
I just got this e-mail.  Not sure how true this is.  What do you all think and have you heard this?


>> The original message is from the Texas Cattle
>> Feeders Association.
>>
>> American cattle producers are very passionate about
>> this.
>>
>> McDonald's claims that there is not enough beef in
>> the USA to support their
>> restaurants. Well, we know that is not so. Our
>> opinion is they are looking to
>> save money at our expense. The sad thing of it is
>> that the people of the USA
>> are the ones who made McDonald's successful in the
>> first place, but we are not
>> good enough to provide beef.
>>
>> We personally are no longer eating at McDonald's,
>> which I am sure does not
>> make an impact, but if we pass this around maybe
>> there will be an impact felt.
>> Please pass it on
>>
>> Just to add a note, all Americans that sell cows at
>> a livestock auction barn
>> had to sign a paper stating that we do NOT EVER feed
>> our cows any part of
>> another cow. South Americans are not required to do
>> this as of yet.
>>
>> McDonald's has announced that they are going to
>> start importing much of their
>> beef from South America. The problem is that South
>> Americans aren't under the
>> same regulations as American beef producers, and the
>> regulations they have
>> are loosely controlled.
>>
>> They can spray numerous pesticides on their pastures
>> that have been banned
>> here at home because of residues found in the beef.
>> They can also use various
>> hormones and growth regulators that we can't. The
>> American public needs to be
>> aware of this problem and that they may be putting
>> themselves at risk from now
>> on by eating at good old McDonald's.
>>
>> American ranchers raise the highest quality beef in
>> the world and this is
>> what Americans deserve to eat. Not beef from
>> countries where quality is loosely
>> controlled. Therefore, I am proposing a boycott of
>> McDonald's until they see
>> the light.
>>
>> I'm sorry but everything is not always about the
>> bottom line, and when it
>> comes to jeopardizing my family's health, that is
>> where I draw the line.
>>
>> I am sending this note to about thirty people. If
>> each of you send it to at
>> least ten more (30 x 10 = 300) ... and those 300
>> send it to at least ten more
>> (300 x 10 = 3,000) .. and so on, by the time the
>> message reaches the sixth
>> generation of people, we will have reached over
>> THREE MILLION consumers!
>>
>> I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much
>> potential, did you? Acting
>> together we can make a difference. If this makes
>> sense to you, please pass
>> this message on.
>>
>> David W. Forrest, Ph.D., PAS, Dipl. ACAP Department
>> of Animal Science
>>
>> Texas A&M University Phone
>>
>> (979) 845-3560

 

[knabe]

let me get this straight, signing a document guaranteeing i don't feed cattle protein to my cattle guarantees i don't? 

i would like to see the american angus association get the UN to get every cattle producer in the entire world that seeks to import cattle here, or use the USDA stamp to have NAIS, instead of just american producers. 

boycotts rarely work, sometimes they create countries, ie USA. 

amazing how little faith americans have in the ability of free markets to offer solutions to this problem.  what solution has every offered 100% compliance?

i would like to see a study done at a grocery store offering irradiated hamburger and look at sales rather than pathetic interviews of what people say they would do which rarely is shown to be corrolated in situations of fear, and look at the sales ratio before during and after an E. coli scare.  then you will get conspiracy people saying the scares are created so we get mandated irradiated beef.  just let the market drive it. forget the regulation, (subsidy to favor big business).

 

[knabe]

and, just to show you the government doesn't have an agenda,

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/op_ed/view.bg?&articleid=1035832&format=&page=1&listingType=opi#articleFull

i have to laugh, are we really putting up with this?

 

[ELBEE]

No multi-billion dollar corporation got to where they are by doing the public any favors.

 

[afhm]

I would think there is some truth to the article if a professor from a major university is willing to put his name, title and phone number on it.  Signing the paper doesn't guarantee you didn't feed it, but it makes you liable should there be a problem.  I have never been big on McDonalds except for breakfast.  Try and sirloin burger from Jack in The Box and you'll forget about Mickey D's as well.

 

[Cowboy]

There is truth to the letter folks, believe me. I heard a long time ago, YEARS ago, that Mac was buying and using Venezualan (SP?) beef. They have been using the ploy of  - "We use only 100% USDA inspected beef in our restaurants" for along time too. 100% USDA inspected beef only means that each "BOX" coming off the ship was stamped with a nice big BLUE USDA stamp, in essence saying a real human was there, and touched it!! Give me a break!

There is no logical way we as producers can prevent this type of thing, not in reality. With all the free trade laws that have been passed for the last couple decades, what is stopping these big companies from making more money by using the laws to thier favor??? The free trade act favors imports in my opinion, and I also feel that it hurts exports in the long run. Why should South America send 20 shipments of beef over here, and wait till 19 of the same 20 boats come back with our beef in them for use over there! That is one thing that really baffles me -- it really does!

McDonalds Corporation is not one of largest fast food lines for no reason. They have researched the need, the desire, and then -- to make it work, found the cheapest of ingredients for the most profit! Let's face it, imported beef is cheaper to buy than our own home raised (And better quality) highly taxed and surcharged beef is. With all the requirements placed on us -- the producers - and then the inspection criteria put inplace at the packers (??Well, most of the time), some one has to be paid to do it all. The middle man makes the money again!

By using imported less stringently regualted beef, even with the import shipping cost inplace, it is still cheaper to go abroad unless I am at a total loss of realism here.

McDonalds uses 100% USDA "Inspected" beef, not 100% US beef -- there IS a difference! There, now I feel better -- or worse meybe -- hell I don't know -- but I do know I have NOT purchased a McDonalds burger in over 10 years, why should I when my own beef is in the freezer????? DUH!

Hope every one is well and happy!

Terry

U S A Beef, it's what's for dinner -- might be a better way to say it!

 

[Joe Boy]

I read this piece over a year ago and heard that MeDonald's backed off some but they are buying a large percentage of their beef from foreign sources.  They also buy all the thinest cows sold in America.  They buy lots of the ugliest dairy cows that hit the market.  They do this for two reasons.  1.  They cost lest.  2.  They have less fat.  They are probably the largest buyer of American beef and dairy products.  The reason they are buying as much foreign beef is that they cannot get enough older cull cows here.  The vast drought in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma last year took lots of older cows off the market.  They buy only the cheapest product on the market.  Next time you are at a sale barn and you see an old cow bring 30 cents less than the others, remember her when you dine at McDonalds.  That is where she went....

It is illegal to feed animal by-products to cattle in the US, even if you do not sign a document.  I can remember mixing feed for livestock in the 60's that had tankage in it..... that was animal by-products.  We got it in tow sacks, that is burlap bags to those north of Oklahoma...ha.

DL, I am sorry about your Buffaloes.... they deserved to win.... Go Cowboys!

 

[Show Heifer]

Cowboy...your wrong. There is something WE can do about it. McD's is selling a product, WE as consumers pay for it. If WE don't pay for it, McD's WILL change.  Will it happen? I doubt it, at least soon. Why, because as Americans are too lazy to cook for ourselves, and are used to cheap. Amercians don't want to be inconvienced. Well, YOU can be inconvienced, but not ME. So why don't YOU do it?
Heck, look at the "all natural, organic" food thing.  10 years ago, people thought it was crazy, now there are TOTAL SECTIONS in grocery stores, with higher prices.
And for Heavens sake, look at bottled water. WATER! I spoke with an older man (92) and he just laughs when the topic of bottled water comes up. Most of it comes out of a tap, MAYBE filtered one more time, and then sold for 5-10 times MORE THAN GAS/DIESAL. The market was non-existant 10 years ago, now the cola companies are betting their company on flavored water, "healthy water", etc. Pop/Soda is just a wee-bit of their sales now.
So, WE as consumers ARE the power behind all the companies. The question is: Are WE strong enough to demand change?

 

[cattlejunky]

Wow.  Lots of good info.  We do not go to McDonalds very often and now it will be even less.  They do have good french fries though!  I wonder were their potatoes are coming from?

 

[cattlejunky]

I posted before I saw your message Show Heifer.  I wish I would have thought of the bottled water idea.  I know we sell freezer beef and it is easy to market for us.  People love the taste, less fat, and freshness.  They especially like the idea of knowing where it came from and how it was fed.  It would be interesting to see the Beef ads on TV promote Restaurants that serve US beef or some kind of campaign promoting US raised beef.  I think if the public as a whole knew that beef was coming from South America and they did not have restrictions they may rethink their choices.  It would probably take a little time for it to happen.  I am really turned off by thinking I am eating an old cow. 

 

[shorthorns r us]

will COOL labeling apply to prepared foods?

 

[knabe]

my comment about signing the document was meant that foreign producers may sign something similar, but there is not the same enforcement as there is if you are a US producer, and therefore you have less incentive to abide by the contract.  once again, not a fair trade.

 

[shorthorns r us]

Rumors Just Keep Circulating about Mickey Ds and the Beef They Buy- Don't Believe the Rumors!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A false rumor about McDonald's continues to circulate around via e-mail claiming that McDonald's is refusing to buy U.S. beef, is importing beef from South America that may be unsafe, and asking recipients of the e-mail to boycott McDonald's. NCBA recently has received a number of inquiries about this e-mail.

This rumor has been circulating in various forms for at least five years and makes the claim that the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) originated the e- mail. This is not true and TCFA has issued the following statement in regard to the rumor:

"Texas Cattle Feeders Association is not connected in any way with the email you received. The email, which has been in wide circulation in various forms for several years now, makes a false claim when it identifies Texas Cattle Feeders Association as the original source of the message. No such message has ever been put out by our organization. Unfortunately, we do not know the identity or motive of the person or persons making this improper use of our name."

The e-mail also represents Dr. David Forrest at Texas A&M University as the email originator. This also is untrue. Dr. Forrest does not know how his name got associated with the rumor and, in regard to the e-mail, Dr. Forrest has said:

"I had nothing to do with composing this e-mail, the information it contains is false, and I do not support any of the actions called for in the e-mail."
The phone number listed for Dr. Forrest in the e-mail is, indeed, the number for the TAMU animal science department but please do not call the number. The animal science department reports it has received a large number of calls as a result of the currently circulating rumor.

http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=r6eobfcab.0.5hldmfcab.hzssiubab.1682&ts=S0288&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.snopes.com%2Fpolitics%2Fbusiness%2Fmcdbeef.asp

 

[knabe]

here's how a small segment of the population is successful by crying really loud.  they remove all animal products from french fries, even the one that contributes to flavor that is in such minute amounts it should lower the karma points of anyone raising beef for posting pics or making a stupid joke.  is there a global karma point reducer?  ouch.

http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/faqingredients.htm

 

[cattlejunky]

Thanks SRU for clarifying if this was real or fake.  With lead base paint toys coming from China who really knows what else is going on. 

 

[shorthorns r us]

btw ... i got that from the oklahoma farm news daily update.