Every day, it seems the vegan crowd gets louder and bolder in their actions. Whether they are basing their dietary choice to forego meat because of perceived ethical or environmental benefits, much of the ideologies followed by the meatless folks is based on inaccurate information, misconceptions and fear-mongering from those who can profit from hysteria.

Yet, it’s always been funny to me to see some of these vegan folks, particularly those of the Hollywood crowd, wear leather and makeup, favor plastic surgery or travel in cars or jets. I would venture to guess these individuals would either be shocked to learn how many of their favorite products come from cattle or they know, but choose not to acknowledge the information because that would mean their meatless existence would be all for naught.

Promoting how beef cattle enrich our everyday lives through beneficial by-products is one of the best stories our industry has. That’s why I was so excited to see a video feature on this topic on the Business Insider online.

Produced by Gene Jim and Jessica Orwig, the video and article describes how only 60% of a cow is actually used for food, and it lists how the remaining 40% is used.

Relying on sources including Discover Magazine, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Scientific American, Journal of Food Science and Technology, Journal of Food Processing and Tech, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner, NobelPrize.org, Therapeutic Advances in Musculoskeletal Disease, Encyclopedia Britannica, Live Science, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and USDA, it seems that Kim and Orwig got it right on beef by-products. Here is an excerpt:

“The fat that doesn't end up at the butcher's is rendered into a product called tallow. Fatty acids in the tallow give it a slick, oily consistency, which adds to the texture in some body creams, cosmetics, soaps, and toothpaste.

“They're also a lubricant in antifreeze, hydraulic brake fluids, and jet engines and are even being tested as a biofuel for planes in the US Air Force. But powering planes is just the beginning.

“We also rely on cattle for certain life-saving medicines, like insulin. Bovine insulin is nearly identical to humans'. So, the cow pancreas is often used to make insulin injections for diabetics.”

Share this blog and let your friends know on social media which beef by-products are the most surprising and useful in your life. Let’s continue to spread the positive word about beef cattle when opportunities like this arise.

The opinions of Amanda Radke are not necessarily those of beefmagazine.com or Farm Progress.