This week's news included a just Released story from 2008! It seems Mexico refused a shipment of Usda Meat because their testing found heavy metals (copper), pesticide residue, and antibiotic residue that did not meet their standards. What? The USDA passed it but Mexico did not? Sad indeed. Of course, the next question is what happened next. Nothing. So, the beef you are eating does not pass Mexico's standard for human consumption but it does in the US. So why did it take so long for us to hear about this? Well, according to the story in USA Today, an audit was just released that shows USDA meat is not adequately tested for these contaminants and limits have not been set by the USDA and the EPA. Below is a table from the article about the contaminants and the possible effects on humans.

Drug or substance
Potential side effects

Flunixin:
Fecal blood, gastrointestinal ulcers and renal necrosis

Penicillin:
Life-threatening allergic reaction; nerve damage; severe inflammation of the colon; swelling of the lips, tongue or face; bleeding; diarrhea

Arsenic:
Non-malignant skin lesions, skin malignancy, internal malignancies, vascular diseases and hypertension

Copper:
Hemolysis, jaundice, changes in lipid profile, oxidative stress, renal dysfunction and death

Ivermectin:
Poisoning of the nerves or nerve cells

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General

Now, go look up a source for organic meat and stop buying it at the grocery store!