Twitter Battle: Brad Wall calls out A&W on claims regarding Canadian Beef quality.

[GDR]

Growth hormones are a lot worse for you than people realize.

Do some research so you know what you are talking about. The amount of estrogen in a serving of beef from an implanted animal is like a miniscule amount compared to naturally occurring serving of spinach.

You go ahead and spray your crop 4 or 5 times a year then criticize the use of hormones, come on !

I don't use implants myself but it's not the problem it's made out to be. And yes the precautionary antibiotics and feed additives are a bit scary but When the public bans general antibiotics from use there is a huge animal welfare crisis brewing. Sick and dead animals aren't a pretty picture either. I'd rather eat a healthy steak!

[the big wheel]

But who is hormoned up and anti biotic full beef good for? Antibiotics have their
Place but some of these places put it steady at a low dose just in case which
Is wrong.
There also is a wrong connection from the rancher to the feedlot. I think
Majority of ranchers are responsible
But when they hit the feedlot it's where the problems start all to save money.

[the big wheel]

Not defending a and w because I
Really don't know if anyone is verifying
Any of the claims how
Do we know they're doing what they say?

[farmaholic]

Sometimes I wonder what the Franchisees think of their parent company's ad campaigns. I bet most Metro Urbans are on board but the Western Canadian ones might think differently.....maybe!

Does it matter who in the beef production cycle is perceived to be doing the most harm? The A&W message being relayed affects the whole Industry.

[GDR]

really no need for them. so what if it takes 3- 7 % more cows to get the same beef.
if they are banned for everybody.
level the playing field.

same for BSE in milk.
and antibiotics as a regular supplement to cattle.

probably just not a good idea.

but the chem . cos that sell it will fight because they are the only ones , that would really lose anything if they were banned

A&W is full of it. too but the adds cater to a narrow mindset.
kinda like pretending to have good cigarettes,

i guess if it works,for them go for it.

as for wall , he is as full of it as a&w

for the most part , those things really do not need to be there at all. so who is wall defending other than the chem. co.s

If would take a lot more cattle to replace the same pounds of beef without hormones and feedlots as we know it, I'd bet double.

Assume you meant BGH in milk production not BSE. It is banned in Canada that's part of the reason the dairy guys don't want to lose supply management cause it is used in the states.

Agree on the level playing field but it's no different than grain markets, it's a world wide trading program not just Canada.

Now you guys got me all worked up!

[malleefarmer]

Have to admit it really was a shock the amount of fast food and different fast food outlets many unheard of to me including aw.

Our days in your great country when not staying with hosts, would start with me scrambled eggs usually at the local diner my wife something a tad more healthy.

Then a trip to local grocery shop and buy bread rolls or the likes tomato maybe bell pepper and some sliced meat and cheese. and fruit. That was lunch covered for two days.

Evening meal was at a diner or restaurant in motel whatever. only actually had fast food once on second day tacos and once a rodeo, sorry I ddint support aw or maccas

oh and ps edit beef jerky whilst driving and juice, occasionally a beer with lunch so not toatally healthy always had a six pack in the cooler

[grassfarmer]

Yep that's true. Where are they getting their antibiotic and no hormone beef from? Where are they getting it so
Cheap to compete with the others

Three sources - blending product from Australia, Montana and Canada.

[farmaholic]

What prompted Wall to make the comment in the first place? The post of the Twitter comment could only be a snapshot of a longer exchange. Does his famlly ranch somewhere?

[the big wheel]

So do those ranchers get a premium? Because I don't see auctions labeled as grass finished or is there direct contracts with a and w etc?

And for someone to try tell
Me hormones and etc are ok for you. Sorry not buying it.

As for sprays I do minimal spraying as possible have found as Klause has other methods are nearly as effective and I do feel better about it.

[Jay-mo]

"Absence" advertising. Really turns me off.
Like bullshitting (maybe literally) about their hormone free beef but not explaining how the exact same "evil hormone" is present in even higher amounts in the bun holding this great beef patty?

[sofa.king]

They seem to blame ranchers for the hormones and I do t know of anyone who uses hormones myself included. If they are being used it's the feedlots and most I know are custom feeding feedlots who get paid by the day for feeding so more days means more money and as for antibiotics they only treat the sick ones because of cost. A 250 ml bottle of some antibiotics can cost 500 bucks or more so nobody wastes that shit. It's just a marketing gimmick to get sales and the general public is ignorant and believe everything they are told.

[sk_wheatking]

"....Isn't enough that matches our standards"....???????¿

What? Not enough lips and assholes, nuts and udders in it for ya A&W?

Fast food is all ****ing garbage anyway.....if they had to make a living off my support they all would have been out of business years ago!

Don't tell those chamomile tea sipping, tattooed, toque wearing, tree hugger anti-everythings how much fat and sodium is in that SHIT!

Whatever.....people are so worried that if they have a quarter Pounder with cheese well that's it I'm ****ed call the lawyer make up the funeral arrangements! You explain to me how any member of guns and roses or motley cru are still alive with their healthy lifestyle choices!? I think I'll super size that order please.

[Blaithin]

I haven't been to A&W since this message started. Like Hamloc have switched to Mcdonalds and too have been pleased compared to 20yrs ago.
Blaithin,
No one cares if they want to promote a product to a certain clientele, that's just good business. It's the insinuation that traditional beef is bad for you that is a problem. Keep in mind that they toned down their original campaign after a couple weeks after pressure from industry.

Our ag industry has few producers compared to consumers. A negative attack on any aspect including beef production is a negative mark on all of our ag industry. No one wins in a battle of mine is better than yours because it's a full circle and sooner or later your on the bottom.

I would say they're promoting traditional beef as better. It's the current model of more, quicker that they're not supporting.

For the most part this doesn't apply to cow/calf producers. It's the feedlots that aren't supported. The problem is the general consumer doesn't differenciate between the two. To them it's all the same stuff and procedures. Which is where educating the public comes in handy.

Personally I've never got the feeling of them saying one beef is healthier than the other in any way. Just catering to what the customer wants "You don't want beef given large amounts of antibiotics when you can have beef that doesn't have any do you?" sort of deal. But then I don't have TV so don't see many of the commercials.

However they are absolutely catering to people with only a minute understanding of the situation. And have to cram it all in to twenty seconds. Their vegetarian chicken ads still irk me. It's one thing promoting a certain product but it's a whole other thing spreading ignorance about it.

I agree that putting down a sector of the industry isn't ideal. I'd much rather someone promote their product without attacking another. But then, saying something isn't hormone implanted or prophylactically treated isn't putting anything down so.... If there is an ad (and there absolutely could be) that directly says implanted beef is terrible for your health then that ad would fall in the category of the veggie chicken ad supplying improper knowledge.

[the big wheel]

If your saying hormones haven't been found to be causing health issues maybe you do some research yourself.

The problem is I see a and w benefitting from the slogan but don t see higher prices for the producer or is there?

[littledoggie]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't all beef in Canada supposed to be antibiotic free due to required withdrawal times before processing? Also, I believe that there are many more hormones (estrogen) in soy and cabbage, etc. then there ever is in beef even when implanted. A&W could be accessing a lot of their hormone/antibiotic free beef from old cows out on the range that have never been handled. No wonder some of their hamburgers are so tough.