Merck & Co. announced on Tuesday plans to reintroduce its feed additive Zilmax, followed quickly by an announcement by Cargill, Inc., one of the world’s biggest beef processors, that it will not accept any Zilmax-fed beef into its supply chain; either through the beef it processes or through the cattle on its own feedlots. The company added it will not use Zilmax-fed cattle until Asia and other trading partners accept it in their markets. Tyson Foods, Inc. stopped accepting Zilmax-fed beef in August after cattle arriving for slaughter were observed to have mobility problems and lameness. Merck’s investigation into the use of Zilmax is ongoing, and the company has established an advisory board to review animal safety data on the feed additive.
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