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NCBA president: ‘We stand behind the science’
The president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) says his group “stands behind the science” of beta-agonists.
Scott George, a Wyoming cattleman and dairyman, was responding to the news that Tyson would suspend purchases of cattle fed the beta-agonist known as Zilmax.
“We believe that a business has a right to make a decision about what affects their shareholders and their owners—and so we respect Tyson’s decision not to accept those cattle,” George tells Brownfield. “We also believe though, that these technologies that we have that help grow more product, that are FDA-approved, are very safe and useable products—and so we stand for the rights of that as well.
“We have to stand behind the science of these products.”
George says NCBA is still not aware of all of the specific animal welfare concerns that Tyson used as the reason for its decision. But he says every time there’s a concern about animal well-being, NCBA takes it very seriously.
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