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3 What are the names of growth stimulants "hormones" used in pork production ?
Also, what is the effect of this growth hormone not only on the beast but the consumer as well ?Are there studies or research available which detail this ?
Question 129, "Pork and Growth hormones" was answered by "Anonymous", today, with avenue for another question, which is this question.
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This is a very difficult question to find a concrete answer to. Because of the rBGH (dairy cow hormone) controversy and EU ban on US beef (partly initiated in response to growth hormones in meat cattle production) there is a wealth of information on beef and hormones. The FDA and USDA state that steroid hormones are banned from use in poultry and hog farming, but there seems to be very little accessible research or useful material on this subject. I assume somewhere the USDA or FDA has published test results from enforcement activities on hog and poultry farms, but i cant find them anywhere (only been searching for 40 min). However most agricultural regulations carry hefty penalties for violation, also these are major industries (14 billion dollars, http://www.hoovers.com/hog-and-pig-farming-/--ID__352--/free-ind-fr-profile-basic.xhtml) where the processes and procedures are codified, mechanized and standardized. If there actually was widespread illicit hormone use it would be quickly discovered due simply to the size of the industry. Look at revelations of slaughterhouse conditions and all the other public information on food additives, most of this stuff is put into our food in a very open and public way, not hidden at all. How, practically, would a $14 billion industry comprised of many competing firms be able to keep this a secret? Furthermore the firms have an incentive to snitch on each other, and employees rotate between companies bringing inside knowledge with them to a competitor. I think it is true that these hormones are not used in the poultry and pork industries, rather the rapid and extreme growth of the animals is due to hundreds of years of natural breeding, highly specialized food (high protein to encourage rapid growth) and dense populations.
"Broiler growth would not be increased with the use of hormone additives. The genetic selection that developed today’s broiler has resulted in an animal that multiplies its hatch weight by 65 times within a seven-week period. In many cases this is hard for the public to believe. The genetic selection has resulted in an animal which grows to its physiological limit. Like in children who experience a growth spurt during puberty, and have resultant joint inflammation and pain, the broiler lives on this same physiological edge." - REASONS WHY HORMONES ARE NOT USED IN THE POULTRY INDUSTRY K. E. Anderson and A. G. Gernat 9http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/newsletter/newsletter_nov04.pdf)
The legal basis for this ban is found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 21, Parts 522, 556, and 558. (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/CFR/)
More info here: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm055436.htm
"Broiler growth would not be increased with the use of hormone additives. The genetic selection that developed today’s broiler has resulted in an animal that multiplies its hatch weight by 65 times within a seven-week period. In many cases this is hard for the public to believe. The genetic selection has resulted in an animal which grows to its physiological limit. Like in children who experience a growth spurt during puberty, and have resultant joint inflammation and pain, the broiler lives on this same physiological edge." - REASONS WHY HORMONES ARE NOT USED IN THE POULTRY INDUSTRY K. E. Anderson and A. G. Gernat 9http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/newsletter/newsletter_nov04.pdf)
The legal basis for this ban is found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 21, Parts 522, 556, and 558. (http://www.gpoaccess.gov/CFR/)
More info here: http://www.fda.gov/AnimalVeterinary/SafetyHealth/ProductSafetyInformation/ucm055436.htm
You say "there is a wealth of information on beef and hormones" but also say that it is a difficult question to answer. The $14 billion dollar industry it seems has a lot riding on keeping the information from public view. $14 billion dollars is a lot of money in anyone's language, reason enough to "spin" the truth and call a hormone "natural" growth. Hormones are used in the pork industry but you say they are not. Sorry. The question stands - what is the name of the hormone used and are studies available which show the effect on both beast and consumer ? I think this is what people want to know, not excuses looking for reasons to brush this type of question off. I also assume that the USFDA is similar to Australia's TGA whereas they do not do independent research but soley rely on industry to provide their own justifications.
