I just received an e-mail from a well-meaning acquaintance urging me to boycott McDonalds because they are importing South American beef.  The e-mail encourages boycotting McDonalds in order to help American ranchers.  It supposedly originated from the Texas Cattle Feeders and is signed by a Texas A&M University Animal Science professor.  I saw a version of this a couple years ago, too.

As much as I, as a Texas Cattle Raiser, want everyone to eat American Beef, I have to step in and say this is one of those e-mail perpetuated urban myths.  When it doubt, Snope it out. In addition, I know the professor whose name appears on the e-mail from my days as a TAMU professor, and checked this out with him a year or so ago.  He never put his name to this and has nothing to do with it.

Where’s the truth/ (or is it the beef)?  McD’s does import beef to supplement their mainly American beef supply, but from Australia and New Zealand where regulations are actually MORE stringent  and the beef is primarily grass-fed.  McD does so because they say they can’t get enough American beef that meets their standards for lean beef.  Believe it or not, McD’s has about the highest quality standards of any fast-food chain in the country for things like foreign material, leanness and source. (not sure that saying much, though).

As far as every rancher in the US having to signing papers at the auction barn.  There is a feed ban in most countries prohibiting feeding cow parts back to cows.  I can assure you that the average Joe rancher doesn’t sign any papers certifying anything about feed when his cattle go to an auction barn.

I can’t believe I’m defending McD’s, but couldn’t let the myth pervade.  So boycott away, if you want, but you’re not helping Texas cattle ranchers by doing so.

1. Wayne Says:
   February 4th, 2009 at 9:37am

   Thanks. I also just saw this on another website. Why don’t people check things like this out before they publish them? It hurts their credibility. I Googled this and it only took me a few seconds to get an Urban Legends article from 2002 that shows it to be misleading.
   http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blmcds-beef.htm



2. H. Kutalek Says:
   February 5th, 2009 at 2:57pm

   Thanks for clearing that up. Didn’t think it was true when I received an email from my frantic sister with two little boys. We all endeavor to be safe but too often these bogus emails are too quickly believed. If you google CDC BSE homepage and/or South American beef products, you can see they (and many other countries) are keeping up with current trends and world market demands as you point out.
   P.S. I like Texas Beef too!!



3. Jasmin Says:
   February 18th, 2009 at 3:27pm

   Hi there, thanks for this. I just got the Canadian version from my friend who never checks this stuff out and blindly believes anything that comes in the form of chain mail. Its very frustrating when people are creating, like you said, urban myths, by merely making something up and sending it to 30 of their friends. Does any body research this stuff anymore????



4. Norm Gere Says:
   March 8th, 2009 at 6:28pm

   Of course many people don’t check these things out. Least of all “journalists”. How many American voters actually took the time to check out the Presidential candidates THOUROUGHLY? Always remember, you reap what you sow. And the American people are getting exactly what they have sown over the years… There is nothing new under the sun.



5. cletus Says:
   July 18th, 2010 at 3:02am

   who cares were the beef comes from? We need mcdonald’s to keep us fat, lazy, and stupid! of course people don’t research anything we just except everything we are told since we are trained by TV and Commercials since child hood to constantly consume and never question. im sure no one is researching these articles either. but as long as we can justify it to our selfs lets get mcfreaky with the big macs people! Yay!