An 1,150 lb. steer doesn’t yield 1,150 lbs. of beef. On the average, that steer yields a 714 lb. carcass. Approximately 146 lbs. of fat and bone are trimmed off leaving about 568 lbs. of retail beef cuts.

Very little of the other 582 lbs. is lost, however. It includes about 27 lbs. of variety meats (liver, heart, tongue, tripe, sweetbreads and brains), plus by-products that are used in a variety of foods, cosmetics, clothing and a host of manufactured items.

These by-products are also an important source of life-saving, life-improving medicines such as insulin and heparin.