NCA's expanding Carcass Data Service provides participating cattlemen with meat-yield and quality data, from packing plants, that will help the cattlemen improve breeding and feeding. The Beef Industry Council supplies information that helps retailers with pricing and management of close-trim programs. This is noted in a scientific report from the LaCosta Conference on Cattle and the Land. Pesticides make possible the production of a plentiful, safe food supply, using less resources than would be required if natural pests were allowed to take their toll. The LaCosta report's summary says that the Food and Drug Administration, Food Safety and Inspection Service, and state monitoring agencies have not found residues of crop- production chemicals at more than a fraction of tolerance levels in plant and animal food items.
All residues currently found are below the safety threshold.
Today 129 America's farmers are the world's most productive. The efficiency of American farmers and ranchers makes U.S. food products very competitive in the world marketplace. Also, the efficiency means that Americans spend smaller shares of their incomes on food than do residents of any other country. Most consumers believe that farmers and ranchers do a good job of helping to assure that the food supply is safe. Groups receiving lower scores included food processors and government agencies.