engleski

Control of illegal use of natural sex hormones in farming of food animals

The most important representatives of the three groups of natural steroid sex hormones (NSSHs) used as growth promoters in the intensive livestock industry are: 17ß-estradiol, progesterone and testosterone. Their effects on the growth and improvement of the organoleptic properties of meat are very positive, because they had been applied in the farming of food animals long before their negative side effects were revealed. Long-term use of NSSHs has toxic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and cancerous effects on animals. As a result of anabolic application, the accumulation of residues occurs in animal tissues and the elimination of NSSHs is performed by body fluids in the environment, but also in milk. Consumers could be exposed to NSSHs by consuming food products of animal origin (milk, meat, eggs), causing even more severe side effects and harmful consequences in humans than in animals. Because of the mentioned reasons, the anabolic use of NSSHs was banned in the EU in 1988. Their application is limited only to therapeutic purposes to treat reproductive and gestation disorders. For determining concentrations of NSSH in food of animal origin, it is essential to know the physiological concentrations of these hormones of those hormones, in order to know if the results are the consequence of abuse or within physiological referent values. As physiological values can vary and are dependent on many factors, when considering the obtained results to take into account anamnestic information and data regarding feeding regime and accommodation of animals. Today’s control systems are more detailed and diagnostic tests are more precise, so the results are more reliable and animal food products are safer for consumers. Considering the constant development of new synthetic substances and the possible abuse of so-called "cocktails" with low levels of active substances with anabolic effects, the continuous monitoring of their use is essential in food animal farming slaughterhouses for their residues in meat samples.

abuse control ; farm animals ; food of animal origin ; natural steroid sex hormones

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