Control of hormone treatment in animals and residues in meat--regulatory aspects and approaches in methodology.

Although the benefit of using anabolic hormones for fattening purposes under specific situations in animal husbandry (for instance, veal production) has been acknowledged in European countries, the regulatory consequences were quite different from those in the United States. With the exception of the United Kingdom, there were no approvals to use estrogens for other than distinct veterinary purposes. Hence the methodological approaches were rather to control the illegal treatments and imports. One measure is the uterus weight bioassay. Furthermore morphological parameters (prostate test) and estrogen determinations by thin layer chromatography in urine (also from the bladder) were proposed for detection of treated animals. Radioimmunoassays are in development and considered sensitive enough for residue studies in carcasses, perhaps applicable in combination with high pressure liquid chromatography. The re-evaluation of the regulatory situation is in progress in France and Germany and under consideration in the United Kingdom. Guidelines may be the recommendations of the FAO/WHO Symposium 1975 in Rome on anabolic agents in animal production indicating the variety of risks due to different compounds in question and preference to those with low oral activity and defined bio-degradation.