Evidence has surfaced suggesting that Americans and others are probably already eating meat from the offspring of clones. Executives from the nation's major cattle cloning companies conceded yesterday that they have not been able to keep track of how many offspring of clones have entered the food supply, despite a years-old request by the FDA.

American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and ketchup are a fine start, but there are so many other ingredients that enhance the already delicious beef and bun combination. The following list is a tribute to some of the lesser-used burger toppings.

So far this year over 28 million pounds of beef products have been recalled due to possible contamination with E. coli O157:H7. Most recently, American Foods Group, LLC, a Green Bay, Wisconsin firm, recalled 48 tons of ground beef products.

Most American restaurants have a dirty little secret. Very little of the meat they sell as Kobe, is actually Kobe beef. That doesn't stop them from charging premium prices however.

The Wisconsin-based company recalls 96,000 pounds ground beef possibly contaminated with E. coli.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association or NCBA, an advocacy group for beef producers in the United States, reports that it works "to increase profit opportunities for cattle and beef producers by enhancing the business climate and building consumer demand." The National Cattlemen's Beef Association is funded partially by membership dues and partially through the Beef Checkoff which imposes a mandatory assessment each time a head of cattle is sold. This tax, which was authorized by Congress in the Beef Promotion and Research Act of 1985, brings in around $85 million a year, of which the NCBA receives roughly $55 million. The constitutionality of the mandatory assessment was called into question with the hearing of the Supreme Court of the United States Case Johanns v. Livestock Marketing Assn., in which the justices ruled in favor of the tax in a 6-3 decision.The NCBA operates the Cattle Industry Annual Convention & Trade Show and Cattle Industry Summer Conference. Advertising CampaignThe NCBA is the group responsible for television ads run in the U.S. using the slogan "Beef: It's What's for Dinner." Music from the ballet Rodeo by Aaron Copland is used in most of these commercials. External linksOfficial siteConsumer siteLegislative and public policy site