The Cost of Foreign Object Contamination

Additionally, 50% of these plants reported customers finding foreign objects outside of the plant. Twenty-four fed plants were also surveyed in the study with 58.3% reporting “yes” to foreign objects in beef. Contamination included buckshot, wire, needles, and darts. Not only is this a major welfare issue, but it is also costing the industry significant product loss, at a time that we cannot afford to lose it. Let’s break down the effects of one BB: 

-If a pre-harvest foreign object is found in the 2,000-pound trim, the batch before and after the contaminated batch will be discarded and unfit for consumption = 6,000 lbs of trim 

-As a practice, the processor would need to also discard the blended batch prior = 6,000 + 6,000 = 12,000 lbs 

-One 950 lb carcass averages 25% ground beef = 238 lbs. Therefore, 12,000 lbs is the equivalent of 51 head 

-Industry reports an average of 140 foreign object contamination events per facility. 51 head x 140 events = 7,140 head lost each year in a single facility. 

-The NBQA surveyed 45 facilities. 7,140 head x 45 facilities = 321,300 head lost/yr 

- 321,300 head x 238 lbs of ground beef/hd = 76 million lbs of ground beef lost/year 

This is a significant problem for our Nation’s beef industry and Nebraska is not immune to the effects, with birdshot being reported in Nebraska plants. As a cattle producer, it is our obligation to do the right thing, every time to maintain consumer confidence in our product. Shotguns should not be a cattle handling tool. 

Sources: 

1. National Beef Quality Audit 2022. https://www.bqa.org/Media/BQA/Docs/nbqa-executive-summary- 2022-updated_v1-compressed.pdf 

3. Beef Industry Food Safety Council 2026. https://www.bifsco.org/ 

2. BQA Foreign Object training slides. National BQA, State Coordinator Hub resources.