AGRICULTURAL USE OF HORMONE AND PROHORMONE THERAPY

To advocate that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) re-evaluate the agricultural use of hormone and prohormone therapies for purposes of animal growth promotion based on evidence demonstrating potential adverse effects on human health; further,

To advocate that the FDA and USDA eliminate approval for nontherapeutic uses in agricultural animals of hormone and prohormone therapies that are known to cause adverse effects on human health; further,

To encourage efforts to eliminate the nontherapeutic agricultural uses of hormone and prohormone therapies previously approved by the FDA and USDA; further,

 o support the therapeutic use of hormone and prohormone therapies in animals only under the supervision of a veterinarian; further,

To encourage additional research on hormone and prohormone therapies to better define the public health impact of these therapies for agricultural purposes.

Rationale

Natural (e.g., estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) and synthetic (trenbolone, zeranol, melengestrol) hormones are commonly used for growth promotion in beef cattle raised in the United States. While the European Union has banned the use of these substances for growth promotion based on safety concerns, the USDA and FDA have long supported use of these substances based on studies conducted in the 1970s. Of note, a 2002 statement from the FDA stated that the use of hormones for agricultural purposes was safe. However, more recent research has raised new concerns about potential harm to human health, including epidemiological studies demonstrating increased rates of breast cancer in women, testicular cancer and decreased fertility in men, and hormone-related developmental issues in infants and children.

Hormone therapies for agricultural therapies should be re-examined based on this new evidence and because technology for measuring exposure to hormone substances has improved since the initial decision by the USDA and FDA. In addition, research to examine the public health impact of agricultural uses of hormone and prohormone therapies needs to be encouraged.