Veterinarska stanica, Vol. 50 No. 6, 2019.
Review article
Hormonally active substances in the food chain from farm animals to consumers
Jelka Pleadin
orcid.org/0000-0002-0768-0462
; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Zagreb, Croatia;
Marko Samardžija
orcid.org/0000-0003-0402-3173
; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The application of sex hormones and other hormonally active substances in farm animals have an anabolic effect that result in increased protein synthesis and fat degradation, and also a better sensory-profile of final meat products. However, when applied to animals, these substances are transmitted to edible tissues and body fluids, and can be found in final products of animal origin intended for consumer consumption, such as milk, offal, meat and eggs. Given that hormonally active substances can cause intoxications in humans, their use as an animal growth promoter is prohibited in the European Union. As sex hormones are present in the tissues and body fluids of farm animals at physiological levels, and that their occurrence may also be the consequence of therapeutic application, the correct interpretation of established levels in different materials sampled from farm animals is of great significance in proving
their illegal use. In recent decades, numerous studies have been carried out in this area, since many substances with hormonal activity have not yet been investigated for their possible toxic effects in humans. At the same time, the development and occurrence of new synthetic hormones and their mixtures continue on the black market. As abuse of hormonally active substances in the livestock industry poses a potential risk to consumers, monitoring their occurrence in all critical points of food production is necessary. In order to produce safe foodstuffs and to ensure the protection of consumer health, there is need for continuous development of analytical methods that are proven to detect a high number of synthetic substances with hormonal activity that might be present in the food chain from farm animals to consumers.
Keywords
hormones; anabolic effect; residues; intoxication; food safety
Hrčak ID:
228311
URI
Publication date:
21.11.2019.
Visits: 935 *