Hormones in international meat production: biological, sociological and consumer issues

Abstract

Beef and its products are an important source of nutrition in many human societies. Methods of production vary and include the use of hormonal compounds ('hormones') to increase growth and lean tissue with reduced fat deposition in cattle. The hormonal compounds are naturally occurring in animals or are synthetically produced xenobiotics and have oestrogenic (oestradiol-17β and its esters; zeranol), androgenic (testosterone and esters; trenbolone acetate) or progestogenic (progesterone; melengestrol acetate) activity. The use of hormones as production aids is permitted in North American countries but is no longer allowed in the European Union (EU), which also prohibits the importation of beef and its products derived from hormone-treated cattle. These actions have resulted in a trade dispute between the two trading blocs. The major concern for EU authorities is the possibility of adverse effects on human consumers of residues of hormones and metabolites. Methods used to assess possible adverse effects are typical of those used by international agencies to assess acceptability of chemicals in human food. These include analysis of quantities present in the context of known biological activity and digestive, absorptive, postabsorptive and excretory processes. Particular considerations include the low quantities of hormonal compounds consumed in meat products and their relationships to endogenous production particularly in prepubertal children, enterohepatic inactivation, cellular receptor-and non-receptormediated effects and potential for interference with growth, development and physiological function in consumers. There is particular concern about the role of oestradiol-17β as a carcinogen in certain tissues. Now subject to a 'permanent' EU ban, current evidence suggests that certain catechol metabolites may induce free-radical damage of DNA in cell and laboratory animal test systems. Classical oestrogen-receptor mediation is considered to stimulate proliferation in cells maintaining receptivity. Mathematical models describing quantitative relationships between consumption of small amounts of oestrogens in meat in addition to greater concentrations from endogenous production, chemical stoichiometry at cellular level and human pathology have not been developed. Such an approach will be necessary to establish 'molecular materiality' of the additional hormone intake as a component of relative risk assessment. The other hormones, although generally less well researched, are similarly subject to a range of tests to determine potentially adverse effects. The resulting limited international consensus relates to the application of the 'precautionary principle' and non-acceptance by the European Commission of the recommendations of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which determined that meat from cattle, hormone-treated according to good practice, was safe for human consumers. The present review considers the hormone issue in the context of current international social methodology and regulation, recent advances in know...

Mechanisms Linking Colorectal Cancer to the Consumption of (Processed) Red Meat: A Review

“…Such compounds include, amongst others, arachidonic acid (Phinney, 1996), methionine (Duranton et al, 1999), trans-fatty acids (Smith et al, 2009), endogenous hormones (e.g. IGF1) (Toden et al, 2010), exogenous hormonal growth-promoters (Galbraith, 2002), man-made contaminants e.g. pesticides (Vogt et al, 2012), and formaldehyde (Zhu et al, 2012).…”

Advantages and challenges for Brazilian export of frozen beef

“…Then, it is understood that the negotiations performed at a price below the sample mean are placed in the south of intersectional axis, the opposite being applied to observations placed in the north of intersectional point. Regarding sanitary rules, the most exigent IC is the EU-15, which allows the entrance of beef only from FMD-free countries, with or without vaccination, which do not make use of growth hormones (Galbraith, 2002) and use auditable bovine traceability systems (EUR-LEX, 2000). Egypt and Russia, in turn, are restricted to licensed slaughterhouses and to the condition of FMD-free beef imports without vaccination (MAPA, 2006).…”

Steroid Hormones in Food Producing Animals:

“…Recommended application occurs in the form of small implants or devices, containing the active hormones, into the subcutaneous tissue of the ears. Both ears are completely discharged at slaughter 27 (Galbraith, 2002). Pharmaceutically, these implants represent slow-release devices, containing relatively large quantities of hormones, which are fractionally released over a period of several months.…”