November 16, 2006

Vietnam's authorities urged to crack down on hormone usage

Vietnamese scientists and cattle food producers urged the government at a meeting Tuesday to mete out more severe punishment to livestock breeders who use growth hormones to enhance livestock growth.

These hormones helped pigs grow much faster and bigger and made for more lean meat, and thus fetched higher prices.

However, consumers who eat meat from such treated livestock would suffer from myalgia, rapid heart rates, headache.

Deputy head of the Southern Agricultural Technology Institute, Dr La Van Kinh, said that ß-agonists, meant for human asthma treatment, were the most common hormones used in animal rearing in Vietnam.

In the last five months 47 animal feed samples out of 428 tested contained the hormones.

One of three samples of pigs' kidneys and meat, taken at random from Ho Chi Minh City markets in July contained a large amount of ß-agonists. International standards prohibit any residues of this substance in pork.

In August, of 86 pigs tested at a major slaughterhouse, 17 were contaminated with ß-agonists.

Other scientists also called for more inspections and tougher regulations for breeding and processing to protect consumer health and exports.