The use of antibiotics and growth hormones is getting a lot of coverage in the media these days. Clearly consumers are increasingly aware of how beef is produced, and there is growing demand for beef that has been raised without antibiotics and growth hormones.

These concerns grow out of the fact that in the last 50 years or so, the beef industry has used hormone implants to speed growth in cattle while reducing feed costs. Low levels of antibiotics are used in cattle feed to speed growth and compensate for overcrowded conditions in which infection spreads quickly. An additional concern is that some of the same antibiotics that are used for treating livestock illness are also used to treat illness in humans, and we already have a growing problem of antibiotic resistance.

If you're concerned, too, you may wonder how you can be sure the beef you buy comes from cattle that have been raised without antibiotics or growth hormones. It's simple: look at the label.