Tyson Foods Stands Alone in Zilmax Ban

CHICAGOBeef prices may increase due to the recent announcement Tyson Foods made banning animals fed with Zilmax, a weight-gaining, FDA-approved drug.

The letter, which was sent out to cattle feeders, stated that as of September 6, Tyson "will no longer purchase cattle that have been fed Zilmax."

This suspension will stay in place till further notice, the company continued.

The decision was made after some animals were received at the plant showing signs of inability to walk and move.

"We do not know the specific cause of these problems, but some animal health experts have suggested that the use of the feed supplement Zilmax, also known as zilpaterol is one possible cause," the letter stated.

The letter also pointed out that this is not an issue of food safety, but the issue of animal well-being.

Other organizations, such as National Beef Packing Co., JBS SA and Cargill Inc. made statements saying that all three companies will continue accepting cattle fed with the supplement.

JBS SA made a statement saying that it has noticed similar problems cited by Tyson, but it will continue to accept animals fed with the supplement and increase monitoring of the animals.

Following Tyson, Merck & Co. released a statement saying they are surprised by Tyson's letter. "We are confident that, based on all of the available data on Zilmax, the experience reported by Tyson is not attributable to Zilmax," Merck said in a statement. "Indeed, Tyson itself points to the fact that there are other possible causes and that it does not know the specific cause of the issues it recently experienced. We will continue to work with Tyson to help it identify those other causes."

The ban on Zilmax-fed beef made by Tyson may cause prices to increase more then they have due to issues such as recent droughts.