Press Release July 2, 2002

Texas Tech University

Members of the press, my colleagues at Texas Tech University and the industries that participated with us in research, and to our guests and friends, thank you for joining us on this significant and special occasion. We are here today to tell you about the results of our research. This is research that began about 10 years ago, but it is only now that we have reached a point that the results can be shared. In the world of research, some results come quickly. Other research requires much more time and testing. Such has been the nature of the work that we have done. We have reached this point today because of the collaboration of many individuals and many industries. This is highly interdisciplinary research and none of us would be here were it not for the combined efforts of many people who represent a wide array of interests and expertise.

Ten years ago, we began research to investigate the effects on plants and animals of a product now called Tasco. Tasco is a proprietary product, processed by Acadian Agritech of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, that is based on the marine plant Ascophyllum nodosum. Soon after investigations began, it was found that antioxidant activities of both plants and animals were increased. In certain instances suppressed immune responses of livestock could be overcome and returned to normal. As one investigation led to the next, it was discovered that cattle fed this product responded with increased marbling in primal cuts of meat, leading to higher USDA Quality Grades in cattle at harvest. Because of the observed responses in antioxidants, effects of feeding Tasco were expanded to include possible extension of shelf-life of meat during retail display. Cattle fed Tasco responded with a brighter more desirable red color of meat that lasted longer and can extend the time that fresh meat can remain on display at the grocery store. Finally, because of relationships among antioxidants, immune systems, and microorganisms, the effects of Tasco on the potentially harmful Escherichia coli were explored. Feeding Tasco for the final two weeks before cattle are harvested has dramatically reduced the pathogenic E. coli. We have verified this at our Texas Tech experimental feedyard, in laboratory tests, and finally in cooperation with commercial feedyards including Caprock Industries and the C-Bar Feedyard under commercial conditions.

Thus, our announcement today is this. Feeding Tasco at the appropriate time and rate to cattle can increase marbling and quality grades, prolong shelf-life at the grocery store, and most importantly, improve the safety of beef by greatly decreasing the risk of contamination with pathogenic E. coli. This is accomplished by feeding an all natural product. If the results of our research prevents the untimely death of even one person, it will have certainly all been worth while.

Thanks to Walter Haeussler and the Office of Intellectual Property Rights and Technology Transfer, Texas Tech University holds the patents on all of these technologies. On behalf of the investigators in this research, I would like to thank him for his efforts, vision, and patience with us during this process. My thanks also to Texas Tech University and to the industries who have participated for providing the means to carry out this research by taking controlled research and adopting it into the industry setting. Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues: Kevin Pond, Mark Miller, and John Blanton and many others not here today who have been part of this effort. None of this would have happened if we had not been able to work together.

Thank you very much.

Contact:

Vivien G. Allen

Texas Tech University

Department of Plant & Soil Science

(806) 742-1625

E-mail: felician@ttu.edu