NO STAMPEDE FOLLOWING CATTLE DRUG SHOW

PAMELA BLAMEY

A "Prime Time Live" segment exposing the use of illegal drugs in cattle feed has failed to arouse much angst among retailers or consumers.

During the segment, which aired Feb. 7, Chris Wallace of "Prime Time Live" reported on "the use of illegal drugs to get beef, lamb, pork and veal from the barnyard to the butcher shop more quickly and profitably."

The television report said that some cattle samples reveal the presence of steroids, antibiotics and other drugs that may cause cancer or infertility in humans or provoke symptoms that suggest a heart attack.

The Food Marketing Institute, Washington, told SN that retailers have not complained of any adverse effects on sales or public outcry brought on by the segment.

"We haven't had much reaction from our members," said spokeswoman Edie Clark. "What we understood was that the system had worked: the problem was identified and resolved."

Wallace's segment focused on an interview with Gail Eiznetz of the Humane Farming Association, San Francisco, who said she'd found that in urine samples gathered one year ago from veal calves at slaughterhouses, 25 out of 72 tested positive for illegal drugs. Eiznetz then implicated products in supermarket meatcases: "It was headed for human consumption. It was headed to the grocery store."

Also discussed was the indictment of a feed supply company in Wisconsin, found to be distributing feed enhanced with clenbuterol, an illegal growth-enhancing drug.

"One of our disappointments with the 'Prime Time Live' segment is that they took an isolated case," American Veal Association, Harrisburg, Pa., spokesman Dave Ivan told SN. "Obviously, we are concerned about [consumer reaction] but we are very confident in our safety record. We haven't seen any backlash from the program, and we were relieved because there could have been a lot of misconceptions."