Illegal use of beta-adrenergic agonists: European Community.

The study discusses the European Community’s control measures against the illegal use of beta-adrenergic agonists in farm animals and their traces in animal-based food products. Beta-agonists are approved only for specific therapeutic applications and not for growth-promoting purposes, but there are notable differences in the occurrence of beta-agonist residues in food-producing animals, partly owing to differences in surveillance strategies and detection techniques used by different member states.

Legislation Governing Beta-Agonists Usage in Veterinary Medicine

• The Mediterranean paper outlines the measures the European Community has put in place to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy of veterinary medicinal products. These measures are enclosed in a series of directives and regulations crafted by the community.
• Specifically on beta-agonists, the document notes that its therapeutic use in animals has only been sanctioned for clenbuterol. It’s used for bronchodilation in horses and calves and for tocolysis in cows.
• The research underlines that no beta-agonists are allowed to be used for promoting growth in farm animals in the European Community.

Surveillance for Residues of Beta-Agonists in Animals

• The research shows that the Directive 86/469/EEC controls the surveillance for the presence of residues of veterinary agents in food-producing animals and meat. This directive offers specific guidelines for taking samples on farms and at slaughterhouses.
• The frequency and level of samples taken relies on the category of compounds and the species of the animal. Should a positive sample be found (exceeding some action levels), the sampling intensity becomes elevated.

Variability in Residue Surveillance

• Despite the arrangements in place, the research found notable differences in the results of different EU member states’ monitoring programs. Instance of residues of beta-agonists in food-producing animals vary, with the percentages of positive samples differing from 0 to 7%.
• This variability is attributed to differences in sampling strategies, detection methods, and action levels applied.
• The article underscores the need for identifying the correct matrices for sampling and detecting beta-agonists. It highlights that in the case of clenbuterol, hair and choroid retinal tissue are the right tissues for sampling, given that clenbuterol accumulates in these matrices.

Overall Impact and Concerns

• Despite the variability, the research reports that there has been a visible decrease in the use of clenbuterol in cattle in The Netherlands, Germany, Northern Ireland, and Spanish Basque Country over the last three years. This decrease can be attributed in part to increased surveillance activities by governmental agencies and sector organizations in these farms and slaughterhouses.
• The paper touches on instances of human intoxication following consumption of meat or liver from cattle treated with beta-agonists. At the concentrations of clenbuterol found in contaminated liver and meat samples, pharmacological effects are probably in humans after consuming 100 to 200 g of the product.
• Given the potential hazard to human and animal health, the paper concludes that the use of highly active beta-agonists as growth promoters is not appropriate. This was also echoed at the scientific Conference on Growth Promotion in Meat Production held in November 1995 in Brussels.