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Hormonal growth promotants

Hormonal growth promotants or ’HGPs' are sometimes used to enhance meat production (growth) in livestock. Their use in New Zealand is tightly controlled and there is no scientific evidence of any detrimental impact on human health through the consumption of meat and meat products that have been produced using approved HGPs.

What hormonal growth promotants are

Hormones are substances produced in the body to stimulate many kinds of cells or tissues into a specific physiological response. They can also be synthetically produced in the laboratory.

Synthetically produced hormones are sometimes used to artificially enhance meat production (growth) in livestock. These hormones are known as hormonal growth promotants or ’HGPs'. They may be exact copies of natural substances normally produced in animals, or substances that mimic some of the actions of the natural hormones.

HGPs are used as quality enhancers to boost growth in some food animals. In many markets, for example, the USA and Australia, they are considered safe and are used extensively, but in the European Union (EU) they are banned. To protect the New Zealand meat trade to the EU their use is strictly controlled in New Zealand, so that meat from implanted animals is not sent to the EU.

How hormonal growth promotants are used

Hormonal growth promotants approved in New Zealand are registered only for beef and pork production. Use in poultry for example, has never been approved. They are administered by implantation behind the animal's ear. They can only be administered by a veterinarian, a trained technician employed by a veterinarian or under the direct supervision of either. There are very particular specifications for farmers and veterinarians about how HGPs are implanted and how those animals are tagged for identification.

How hormonal growth promotant use is controlled

NZFSA regularly audits farms, veterinary practices and slaughter premises to verify that the requirements for use of HGPs are being met. Implanted animals are registered on a national database and the animal tag number is checked off at slaughter.

If requirements are not met, this constitutes an offence under the Animal Products Act 1999. A range of penalties may be imposed, depending on the results of the investigation. Movement control imposed on the farm is common. Individuals can be fined up to $20,000 and farms run as companies can be fined up to $100,000 for failure to comply with NZFSA’s requirements for HGP implantation and record keeping.

Safety of hormonal growth promotants

Today's consumers want a diversity of quality food produced to high safety standards at affordable prices. HGPs can help to deliver this, but they are perceived by some consumers, particularly in Europe, as unnatural ’additives' despite some being naturally occurring organic substances that are present in all meat whether or not the animals have been implanted with the veterinary product.

There is no scientific evidence of any detrimental impact on human health through the consumption of meat and meat products that have been produced using approved HGPs.

It is NZFSA’s policy that consumers should be provided with labelling information where there is a demonstrated food safety risk so consumers can make informed choices about food matters. NZFSA does not consider that approved HGPs have any demonstrable food risks, and as such meat is not required by law to be so labelled for sale in NZ.

Related links

• Industry - Hormonal growth promotants

Updated 26 August 2009