Banned growth chemical remains a problem in beef in central Mexico

[doncoulter]

This article suggests that the carnivores among us would be wise to buy our beef at supermarkets rather than at neighborhood butchers:

"Fourteen years after Mexico banned cattle ranchers from using a growth enhancer called clenbuterol, statistics from the federal agency responsible for meat quality shows that some Mexican cattlemen just can’t give it up.

"That’s especially true in the states surrounding Mexico City, where thousands of American retirees have settled and thousands of American tourists visit. Testing in the state of Guanajuato, home to the popular retiree center of San Miguel de Allende, found 30 percent of 175 samples tested were tainted with clenbuterol, which can cause heart palpitations, tremors, dizziness, nausea and increased anxiety in people who ingest it. Symptoms generally pass within two to six days. . . ."

The full article is here.

Don

[mr bill]

So that's why the beef in the Mega is so tough? Local preference?


“What clenbuterol does is reduce the quantity of fat and increase muscle volume. But the muscle retains a lot of water,” adding weight to livestock, said Dr. Hugo Fragoso Sanchez, director of animal health at the National Service of Health, Food Safety and Food Quality.

The persistence of clenbuterol use in central Mexico is partly because of regional dietary habits.

“In the north of the country, there’s an orientation more toward American cuts that always have fat, such as a New York or a sirloin. But in the central region, people like more of a Spanish cut – very thin with all the fat removed,” Fragoso said.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/10/07/24...rylink=cpy

Don's linked article is worth a read

[roberb7]

Do they inject pigs and chickens with this? (I can do without beef, but not eating pork in Mexico would be a real hardship.)

[colleen]

I suspect that Carne Mart must buy their chicken from that sort of operation. I wouldn't want to get into a tussle with one of those chickens. Have you seen the size of their legs and thighs and breasts? I really would like to know if any of you have info on Carne Mart. Thanks.

[MNRon]

This is the stuff, touted as 'safe,' that bodybuilders use to 'burn fat' and get that lean, cut look where muscle fibers are accentuated. They wouldn't use anything harmful, would they? ;)

[KathrynW]

Sorry, it's in pig and chickens, too. They don't inject. It's in the feed.
http://www.ipsnews.net/2011/06/hidden-po...ican-meat/

As a former agricultural researcher who used to work part time in Mexico: There are 2 kinds of agriculture in Mexico. One for export to the USA and big chain stores that requires producers to follow all the same residue tolerances as crops grown in the USA. These are usually big professional operations very similar to those in the USA. The little farmers use mostly cheap pesticides. They are cheap because they have been banned from the USA 15-20 years ago for toxicity, ineffectiveness, or environmental issues. I have been very shocked to learn what small farmers use here.
If you want to buy produce on the street without concerns for pesticide residues, pick stuff that is a bit eaten around the edges by worms.