The U.S. government insists that hormones, when used properly in beef production, are perfectly safe. Indeed, three of the six hormones that can legally be used to promote U.S. livestock growth occur naturally in humans and livestock. The natural levels are so high that small increases in treated animals are almost impossible to detect and are likely to have no effect on health, federal officials say. That's also the position taken by several international bodies, including the WTO and even a scientific panel assembled by the Europeans. Comforting as this may seem, all three naturally occurring hormones approved for treating cattle have long been on state and federal lists of chemicals known to cause cancer.
Large doses increase cancer rates in laboratory animals.
Dr. Samuel S. Epstein of the University of Illinois School of Public Health contends that adding small amounts of sex hormones to the human diet is cause for concern, especially for young children whose bodies produce relatively low levels. Epstein has been a consultant to the Europeans and to several American public-interest groups that support the ban on hormones in beef production. Combinations of sex hormones allow the animals to extract more nutrients from their feed and allow them to gain weight and add muscle faster than without the drugs. And the hormones have a calming effect on animals crowded into feedlots, where most of the 35 million U.S. cattle slaughtered each year are raised. Most of the drugs are administered in slow-release pellets that are implanted under the skin of the animal's ear so they won't contaminate the beef itself.