The importance of by-products to the US beef industry

The use of by-products as nutrient sources for beef cattle will continue to be driven by economics. As landfill prices continue to escalate, more by-product will become economically viable as cattle feed. These considerations will be counter-balanced by safety concerns. American consumers are becoming increasingly concerned with the production aspects of their food. The environmental concerns associated with additional landfills will have to be balanced against which by-products consumers will accept in the production of the beef that they consume. These will most assuredly heighten over the coming years.