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But feeding steers grain and supplements can create safety issues--for cattle and humans. Biologically, cattle are ruminants, exquisitely evolved to graze grass, and researchers have found that a grain diet raises the acidity in steers' guts. This breeds an acid-resistant form of E. coli that can spread from feces-contaminated carcasses to meat. Although USDA inspections are supposed to detect E. coli, the system is not perfect. In 1993, 600 people in Seattle got sick and three children died after eating E. coli-- tainted hamburger. Since then, outbreaks have triggered more recalls and led to a federal recommendation that consumers cook beef thoroughly. According to USDA research, more than half of grain-fed cattle have been found to have acid-resistant E. coli in their feces; the proportion drops to 15% if they are switched to hay.
Mad-cow disease, which can jump to humans in the form of a fatal brain illness, is another concern. It's believed to be a product of serving cattle parts to cattle. The practice was banned in the U.S. in 1997, but beef tallow is still allowed in feed (along with other "supplements" like chicken feathers)--a source of continuing controversy.
By many accounts, the grain diet contributes to one more public-health problem. Overuse of antibiotics has caused more and more bacteria to become resistant to treatment, a factor in the deaths of more than 60,000 Americans each year. An estimated 70% of the nation's antibiotics are fed to livestock and poultry to prevent illnesses and promote growth. Some 300 organizations, including the American Medical Association, have called for an end to nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in animal feed. The NCBA counters that antibiotics are judiciously applied. But the line between necessary treatment and routine use is blurred by the fact that a grain-based diet often leads to stomach ulcers and liver abscesses in cattle--a problem that has fueled the wrath of animal-rights groups. Grass-fed steers rarely require antibiotics.
Consumers seeking to avoid chemicals have turned to certified-organic beef in recent years, but often it is merely feedlot beef that is fed pesticide-free grain. Grass-fed advocates say such beef does not offer the improved fat profile and other benefits of pasture-raised cattle. A fight has erupted recently over whether milk from feedlot cows can legally bear the USDA organic label. "We need to raise animals on species-appropriate diets," says Jo Robinson, founder of Eatwild.com a website that links consumers to some 800 grass-fed-beef ranches.
Allen Williams, an industry consultant, pegs the potential for grass fed at 20% of the beef market--but supply is nowhere near demand. Grass-fed beef can cost from 20% to 100% more than feedlot beef, reflecting in part a longer growth cycle. And quality can be a problem. Bonnell's, a Fort Worth restaurant, sells 65 Taggart steaks a week. "Our customers rave about its tenderness and nutty flavor," says chef Jon Bonnell. But some grass-fed meat is too tough. And it's not easy to revive the art of producing tasty pasture-raised beef. It requires not only rotational grazing but also the genes that allow animals to fatten naturally on grass. Bill Kurtis, a former CBS newsman, launched the Tallgrass Beef Co., which sells on the Internet. "We searched for purebred Angus with genes that date to the Mayflower," he says.