news you can use

U.S. Investigates Hormone Implants in Veal Calves



Fri Apr 2, 8:43 PM ET




WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government is investigating the illegal use of implanted growth hormones in young calves intended to be slaughtered for veal, the Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.



Inspectors from the FDA and the Agriculture Department discovered the hormone use in three different groups of animals at two Wisconsin slaughterhouses.




Officials said they do not yet know how widespread the practice is, but consumers should not be concerned if they have recently eaten veal.




Both the FDA and USDA are investigating the extent to which this practice is occurring.... At this point in time we don't know for sure, said Stephen Sundlof, head of veterinary medicine for the FDA.




It would be very doubtful that we would see adverse effects in people, he added.




The hormones, which increase muscle mass, can be used in adult cattle but are illegal for use in younger ones, Sundlof said. While there is no clear evidence, calves have a different metabolism that could leave traces of the hormones in the tissue, he said.




As part of the investigation, the FDA issued an industry guidance calling on veal producers who have used the implants to follow the same procedures as they would with adult cattle. If they do, the calves can then be slaughtered 63 days after implantation, the FDA said.




The guideline applies only to calves killed before June 6 and is based on the premise that there will be no additional use of the implants in veal calves, the agency said in a statement.




If the industry does not voluntarily follow those steps, the agency can issue warning letters or take legal action, Sundlof said.




as learned fromReuters


Design copyright Scars Publications and Design. Copyright of individual pieces remain with the author. All rights reserved. No material may be reprinted without express permission from the author.

Problems with this page? Then deal with it...