Hormonal growth promoters

Currently there are 277 suppliers of hormonal growth promoters in Australia. The majority of these are in Queensland, where most hormonal growth promoters are used. Over the past year, the NRA has audited 80 premises, with a yearly target of 102. This means that every premises is likely to be audited every 3 years. During an audit, the auditor checks the suppliers records to ensure that each entry is complete and that a purchases declaration has been received for each supply of hormonal growth promoters. Stock on hand at last audit and subsequent acquisitions are also calculated, to ensure that all units of hormonal growth promoters are accounted for. 

Community. The administration of hormone growth promoters was prohibited because of fears about health effects from residues, although there is a need to standardise conditions of trade in animal products from countries outside the EU where these compounds are still licensed for use. The use of one particular group of synthetic anabolic agents with oestrogenic activity, the stilbene compounds,... 

This group of compounds disrupt the uptake of adrenal hormones by nerve cells and stimulate the cardiovascular system. When they are used over a prolonged period, three to four months, they also induce a redistribution of fat to muscle tissue. This group of compounds has been used illegally as feed additives in some European member states as an alternative to the banned hormonal growth promoters. However, the quality of the meat produced where these compounds have been used, is of a poor quality. 

Residues of hormonal growth promoters in tissues are usually present at very low concentrations and many chromatographic methods are too insensitive. 

Regal P, Nebot C, Vazquez BI, Cepeda A, Fente CA. Determination of the hormonal growth promoter 17a-methyltestosterone in food-producing animals bovine hair analysis by HPLC-MS/MS. Meat Scie 2010 84 196-201. 

Perhaps a more justified concern is the fate of hormone growth promoters from intensive farming enterprises. These have the capacity to produce significant quantities of run-off, manure and slurry and yet the environmental fate of any exogenous hormones present is largely unknown (see also Chapter 16). ... 

R. W. Stephany, Hormonal growth promoting agents in food producing animals, Handb. Exp. Pharmacol., 2010, No. 195, 355-367. 

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