Page 53 - RealDirtENG2020

Common question: hormones, livestock, and meat
Fact: no food is hormone-free. Hormones occur naturally in plants and animals, meaning that there is no such thing as hormone-free food122.
Dairy cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys in Canada are not given hormones for milk production or growth promotion. Some beef farmers may use government-approved hormones, however, in beef cattle, because it promotes ef cient muscle growth, rather than fat123. That application means leaner meat using less feed. It also helps keep food more affordable for Canadians.
Hormone levels from beef cattle that have received implants is virtually the same as the levels in beef from cattle not given growth promoters. There is more variation in the hormone levels of beef from male versus female cattle than between beef from cattle raised with and without hormones.
The bottom line
Worldwide, the use of hormones in cattle has been con rmed as safe, and as having no impact on human health by agencies including Health Canada, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations, and is based on ongoing research and monitoring124.
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FACT
Hormones are one of many methods farmers use to produce affordable, environmentally friendly, and high-quality beef for Canadians. The technology allows farmers and ranchers to use 10 per cent less land, seven per cent less fuel, and raise 12 per cent fewer animals to produce the same amount of food125.
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Chapter 7: Healthy and safe food 53