August 25, 2020

Consumers in Morelos, Mexico, ill after consuming meat tainted with prohibited feed additive

54 people in Morelos, Mexico, fell sick after consuming meat tainted with Clenbuterol, which is used as an additive in livestock feed to promote muscle mass and meat yield in cattle, poultry and swine.

Those cases have prompted a warning by state authorities, advising people to look out for  physical symptoms that can result from consuming meat with Clenbuterol. Consumers in six municipalities have been affected.

The use of Clenbuterol is prohibited in the United States and Europe. Use of the anabolic agent for cattle fattening is a criminal offence under the Federal Animal Health Law, according to the Mexican National Service for Agro-Alimentary Public Health, Safety and Quality (SENASICA).

The agency operates programmes to stop use of Clenbuterol in the feeding of bovine cattle for human consumption, which certify the work of meat producers, fatteners, storers and processors. From almost 3,800 samplings at production sites in 2019, only five positives were confirmed.

In the municipalities of Jantetelco, Jonacatepec, Cuautla, Ayala, Atlatlahucan and Tepalcingo, 54 suspected cases of Clenbuterol poisoning were detected. In total, 39 were treated on an outpatient basis, 15 required hospitalisation in different medical units but 14 of these patients have already been discharged.

Asunción Virginia Muñoz Rangel, head of the Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks of the State of Morelos (Coprisem), said an investigation was started to find the origin of contaminated meat.

Two points of sale in the area have been visited to carry out sanitary surveillance and obtain samples to analyse and determine if there is the presence of Clenbuterol in products.

- Food Safety News