Safety of poultry meat in accordance with EU requirements in Ukraine: state monitoring of hormones

The article presents the results of analysis of the world scientific literature from 2010 to the present and official monitoring studies of poultry meat for hormone content for 2017–2020 to provide scientifically sound information on its level of safety in accordance with modern requirements of risk analysis. The problem of the using of hormones in poultry has arisen on the basis of published research by scientists that hormones can jeopardize the safe consumption of poultry products and thus make these products harmful to human health. According to these scientists, the residual amounts of hormones in broiler meat products can have such adverse effects on human health as the risk of cancer, early puberty for girls and boys and an increase in abortions. Such information raises consumer doubts about the safety of industrial poultry meat and increases their demand for “clean – hormone-free meat products”. The results of scientific research and consumer distrust of the absence of hormones in poultry meat have led to the initiation of further scientific research on these chemical residues in the EU and the US. In addition, strict legislation was introduced to ban the use of hormones in poultry, introduced mandatory controls on poultry farms to prevent their illegal use, as well as constant monitoring as a precautionary control by the state. However, many scientists claim that due to the ban on the use of hormones in poultry and the constant monitoring of the use of antibiotics, the results of official monitoring in most cases indicate safe levels of these substances in poultry meat. Despite the fact that in 1996 in the EU all hormonal stimulants are officially banned for use by animals and poultry other than for therapeutic purposes, there are scientific publications on the violation of these requirements. There is no ban on hormones in poultry at the legislative level in Ukraine yet. Ukrainian consumers are worried about the safety of poultry meat in terms of hormone content, but producers of large poultry farms assure them that poultry is raised without the use of any growth hormones. In accordance with EU requirements, Ukraine has introduced constant state monitoring of poultry meat content through laboratory control of samples. According to the analysis of the State Monitoring Plans for 2016–2020, there are no risks to the content of hormones in public health when consuming poultry meat. Our data coincide with similar data in most EU countries.

ԱՐՀԵՍՏԱԿԱՆ ԼՃԱԿԱՅԻՆ ՏՆՏԵՍՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐՈՒՄ ԲՈՒԾՎՈՂ ՁԿԱՆ ՄՍՈՒՄ ՀՈՐՄՈՆՆԵՐԻ ՄՆԱՑՈՐԴԱՅԻՆ ՊԱՐՈՒՆԱԿՈՒԹՅԱՆ ՈՐՈՇՈՒՄԸ ԵՎ ԴՐԱՆՑ ՍՆՆԴԱԿԱՐԳԱՅԻՆ ՆԵՐԳՈՐԾՈՒԹՅԱՄԲ ԱՌՈՂՋԱԿԱՆ ՌԻՍԿԻ ԳՆԱՀԱՏՈՒՄԸ

The research aims to determine the content of growth promoters, particularly residual hormone content in the meat samples of fish bred in the large artificial pond farms of Armenia and to assess their dietary exposure. The residual amounts of growth promoters were detected through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method and confirmed upon the liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method. In some fish samples the hormone content exceeded the permissible level, but no health risks were found as a result of fish consumption. It is recommended to strengthen the state control in order to prevent the illegal usage of prohibited growth promoters in fish farming.

Naturally occurring hormones in foods and potential health effects

Hormones and hormone-like substances, for example, phytoestrogens, are food components that can be endogenously produced by a food source or occur secondary to farming practices. The hormone content of foods has been studied for decades, and safety evaluations in the United States and Europe indicate that naturally occurring hormones found in foods are safe for human consumption. More recent studies have focused on the role of certain hormones found in specific foods (e.g. dairy or soy) and their potential health effects. However, limited summaries exist on food content of hormones and hormone-like phytoestrogens in the context of a comprehensive US diet and implications, if any, of their daily consumption for overall health. This review provides an outline of hormone biosynthesis and functions in the body; discusses the more commonly studied, naturally occurring hormones in food and their biological role within food; estimates relative dietary contribution and when available, bioavailability, of naturally occurring food hormones; and summarizes the potential health associations of their intake in food. Based on the review of the scientific literature, the hormone content of typical serving sizes of commonly consumed foods is undetectable or in quantities that fall well within safety guidelines without any evidence for adverse effects on health.