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Illegal use of beta-adrenergic agonists: European Community.
Abstract: The use of veterinary medicinal products within the European Community is governed by a series of directives and regulations that describe the requirements for safety, quality, and efficacy of these products. Veterinary therapeutic use of beta-agonists has only been approved in the case of clenbuterol for bronchodilatation in horses and calves and for tocolysis in cows. No beta-agonists have been permitted in the European Community for growth-promoting purposes in farm animals. Surveillance for the presence of residues of veterinary agents in food-producing animals and meat is regulated by the Directive 86/469/EEC containing specific guidelines for sampling procedures on farms and in slaughterhouses. The level and frequency of sampling is dependent on the category of compounds and animal species. When positive samples have been identified (above certain action levels), sampling intensity is increased. Results of monitoring programs in EU member states during 1992 and 1993 for the occurrence of residues of beta-agonists in food-producing animals vary substantially with respect to the percentages of positive samples, ranging from 0 to 7%. The variability is partly explained by differences in sampling strategies, detection methods, and action levels applied. Identification of the proper matrices for sampling and detection of beta-agonists is important. In the case of clenbuterol, hair and choroid retinal tissue are appropriate tissues because clenbuterol accumulates in these matrices. A clear decrease in the use of clenbuterol in cattle has been observed in The Netherlands, Germany, Northern Ireland, and Spanish Basque Country over the last 3 yr. This is partly due to intensified surveillance activities at farms and slaughterhouses by governmental agencies and production sector organizations. There are data on human intoxication following consumption of liver or meat from cattle treated with beta-agonists. At the concentrations of clenbuterol measured in contaminated liver and meat samples, pharmacological effects may be expected in humans after consuming 100 to 200 g of product. The use of highly active beta-agonists as growth promoters is not appropriate because of the potential hazard for human and animal health, as was recently concluded at the scientific Conference on Growth Promotion in Meat Production (Nov. 1995, Brussels).
Publication Date: 1998-02-17 PubMed ID: 9464899DOI: 10.2527/1998.761195xGoogle Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
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Summary
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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.
Cite This Article
APA
Kuiper HA, Noordam MY, van Dooren-Flipsen MM, Schilt R, Roos AH.
(1998).
Illegal use of beta-adrenergic agonists: European Community.
J Anim Sci, 76(1), 195-207.
https://doi.org/10.2527/1998.761195x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- State Institute for Quality Control of Agricultural Products (RIKILT-DLO), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
MeSH Terms
- Adrenergic beta-Agonists / analysis
- Adrenergic beta-Agonists / therapeutic use
- Animals
- Animals, Domestic / growth & development
- Animals, Domestic / physiology
- Body Weight / physiology
- Cattle
- Drug Approval / legislation & jurisprudence
- Drug Residues / analysis
- European Union
- Food Contamination
- Goats
- Growth Substances / analysis
- Growth Substances / therapeutic use
- Horses
- Humans
- Meat / analysis
- Poultry
- Sheep
- Swine
Citations
This article has been cited 15 times.- Zhang Q, Du H, Zhang Y. Recent progress on the detection of animal-derived food stimulants using mass spectrometry-based techniques. Front Nutr 2023;10:1226530.
- Luo H, Liu S, Shi L, Li Z, Bai Q, Du X, Wang L, Zha H, Li C. Paper-Based Fluidic Sensing Platforms for β-Adrenergic Agonist Residue Point-of-Care Testing. Biosensors (Basel) 2022 Jul 12;12(7).
- Wu C, Ning X, Chen X, Ma J, Zhao Q, Zhao L, Zhu G, Shi S. Multi-functional porous organic polymers for highly-efficient solid-phase extraction of β-agonists and β-blockers in milk. RSC Adv 2021 Aug 23;11(46):28925-28933.
- Liu M, Ma B, Wang Y, Chen E, Li J, Zhang M. Research on Rapid Detection Technology for β(2)-Agonists: Multi-Residue Fluorescence Immunochromatography Based on Dimeric Artificial Antigen. Foods 2022 Mar 18;11(6).
- Saleh AA, Alhotan RA, Alharthi AS, Nassef E, Kassab MA, Farrag FA, Hendam BM, Abumnadour MMA, Shukry M. Insight View on the Role of in Ovo Feeding of Clenbuterol on Hatched Chicks: Hatchability, Growth Efficiency, Serum Metabolic Profile, Muscle, and Lipid-Related Markers. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 18;11(8).
- Flavie Ouali BE, Wang HV. Beta-agonist drugs modulate the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells in vitro. Biochem Biophys Rep 2021 Jul;26:101019.
- Han S, Zhou T, Yin B, He P. Gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric ELISA for quantification of ractopamine. Mikrochim Acta 2018 Mar 7;185(4):210.
- Wang R, Zhang W, Wang P, Su X. A paper-based competitive lateral flow immunoassay for multi β-agonist residues by using a single monoclonal antibody labelled with red fluorescent nanoparticles. Mikrochim Acta 2018;185(3):191.
- Yan K, Zhang H, Hui W, Zhu H, Li X, Zhong F, Tong X, Chen C. Rapid screening of toxic salbutamol, ractopamine, and clenbuterol in pork sample by high-performance liquid chromatography-UV method. J Food Drug Anal 2016 Apr;24(2):277-283.
- Cheng TD, Shelver WL, Hong CC, McCann SE, Davis W, Zhang Y, Ambrosone CB, Smith DJ. Urinary Excretion of the β-Adrenergic Feed Additives Ractopamine and Zilpaterol in Breast and Lung Cancer Patients. J Agric Food Chem 2016 Oct 12;64(40):7632-7639.
- Paredes AH, Salvetti NR, Diaz AE, Dallard BE, Ortega HH, Lara HE. Sympathetic nerve activity in normal and cystic follicles from isolated bovine ovary: local effect of beta-adrenergic stimulation on steroid secretion. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2011 May 16;9:66.
- Zhang J, He Q, Liu QY, Guo W, Deng XM, Zhang WW, Hu XX, Li N. Differential gene expression profile in pig adipose tissue treated with/without clenbuterol. BMC Genomics 2007 Nov 26;8:433.
- Kataveni S, Gourishetty RP, Mundada SM, Avvaru MP, Kollipara VS, Gottimukkala SP. Clenbuterol Abuse in Bodybuilding and Athletics: Unsupervised Use, Psychological Motivations, and Health Consequences. Cureus 2025 May;17(5):e84904.
- Klöppner L, Harps LC, Parr MK. Sample Preparation Techniques for Growth-Promoting Agents in Various Mammalian Specimen Preceding MS-Analytics. Molecules 2024 Jan 9;29(2).
- Baker JG, Shaw DE. Asthma and COPD: A Focus on β-Agonists - Past, Present and Future. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2024;285:369-451.
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