IANAFarmer but I grew up on a farm (not a commercial one... just for family needs) and we routinely fed our pigs what ever we could get from the "Day Old Bakery" when it was too old/damaged even for them. While a good portion of it was usually just old bread, it was not uncommon for half a truck load to be entirely made up of smashed fruit pies and donuts. Our pork always tasted good. I would not be too concerned with eating meat from a cow that was raised on a regulated diet of chocolate and supplements.
Someone seems to do a story on this kind of thing every year. Last time I heard about it, it was local farmers feeding their cows past-due fruit loops and other sugary cereal. So it's hardly an uncommon sort of thing in general. If it's digestible and not poisonous, a cow has probably been made to eat it.
I imagine developing heart disease or diabetes later in life isn't particularly high on the list of concerns for beef cattle, considering they're sent to slaughter at a fraction of their natural life span.
The problem isn't that cows might get heart disease if they were allowed to live into old age. The problem is that these bad diets make them sick while young, often requiring that they be pumped full of medicine to be "healthy" enough to be eligible for slaughter. This affects the quality (culinary and nutritional) of the meat for humans.
I'm less concerned with the existential health of the cow, just health when growing and feed type. Both of these influence final meat quality, along with many other variables.
Example: Cows that were calm when killed are tastier.
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IANAFarmer but I grew up on a farm (not a commercial one... just for family needs) and we routinely fed our pigs what ever we could get from the "Day Old Bakery" when it was too old/damaged even for them. While a good portion of it was usually just old bread, it was not uncommon for half a truck load to be entirely made up of smashed fruit pies and donuts. Our pork always tasted good. I would not be too concerned with eating meat from a cow that was raised on a regulated diet of chocolate and supplements.
Someone seems to do a story on this kind of thing every year. Last time I heard about it, it was local farmers feeding their cows past-due fruit loops and other sugary cereal. So it's hardly an uncommon sort of thing in general. If it's digestible and not poisonous, a cow has probably been made to eat it.
Cows will eat most anything. It doesn't mean they should.
What is your concern about the cow eating old chocolate?
Nothing specifically about chocolate. Any non-grass diet is demonstrably worse for the cows in overall health and final meat quality.
I imagine developing heart disease or diabetes later in life isn't particularly high on the list of concerns for beef cattle, considering they're sent to slaughter at a fraction of their natural life span.
The problem isn't that cows might get heart disease if they were allowed to live into old age. The problem is that these bad diets make them sick while young, often requiring that they be pumped full of medicine to be "healthy" enough to be eligible for slaughter. This affects the quality (culinary and nutritional) of the meat for humans.
That's not because of the diet, that's because of the crowded and unsanitary nature of conditions in CAFOs.
Being a meat product is also horrible for the cow's overall health. Nearly a 100% fatality rate. :)
Totally true. =)
I'm less concerned with the existential health of the cow, just health when growing and feed type. Both of these influence final meat quality, along with many other variables.
Example: Cows that were calm when killed are tastier.