Myth: Hormone Use In Beef Production Is A Health Concern


Hormones like estrogen are used in modern beef production to increase the amount of beef that can be harvested from cattle. However, these hormones are the same as, or synthetic versions of those naturally produced by cattle. The estrogen that is used in beef production, for example, is used at levels that are a fraction of what is found in soybean oil, soybeans, eggs and what is produced by the human body.

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Consider that a pound of soybean oil contains 900,000 nanograms of estrogen per pound. Compare that to 1.9 nanograms per pound found in beef produced using hormone implants and 1.7 nanograms per pound in non-implanted beef 1.

While some people cite Europe's ban on hormone-treated beef from the U.S. as evidence that hormones are a concern, Europe's own scientists have affirmed that hormone use in cattle production is safe. Unfortunately, European political bodies have rejected the science and refused to lift the ban. Because high quality U.S. beef is produced more efficiently and economically, it is a prime competitor to European-produced beef.

  1. Hormones in my organic food? Yep, 2009 (accessed July 20, 2010).