New Zilmax studies find no ill effects

It was just one year ago when concerns surfaced over possible adverse effects of beta agonists such as Zilmax on feedyard cattle. As a result, Tyson Foods announced a moratorium on purchasing Zilmax-fed cattle. Shortly after that, Merck Animal Health temporarily suspended sales of the product in the United States, a policy that remains in place today. Now, after a number of controlled scientific trials, no significant differences in lameness or other negative outcomes were found between cattle treated with Zilmax, untreated cattle or those treated with Optaflexx, the other FDA-approved beta agonist used in finishing cattle. Read more at Drovers CattleNetwork…