Hormonal active growth promoters can be used very effectively to fatten farm animal, especially bovine ruminants and veal calves.
Steroid hormones are generally administrated in the form of a pellet that is implanted beneath the skin of the ear. Improper used of hormone-containing pellets, for example implantation into muscle tissue, results in higher levels of hormone residues in edible meat cuts.
The use of antibiotics as growth promoters in agriculture far exceeds their use in medicine to treat human disease. This contributes to the worrying levels of antibiotics resistant bacteria now seen throughout the world and brings many of the values in which intensive agriculture is predicated into question.
Another source of concern of the health of consumers is the use of hormones to increase productivity. It raises serious concern when the potential for hormone residue in meat and milk to cause cancer and other health problems.
It has been reported that pasteurization destroys approximately 90% of residues of the protein hormone rbGH in bovine milk.
Hormone residue in food
