Cattle hormones and human health: A risk assessment review

Abstract

The extensive use of various hormones in cattle production, including trenbolone acetate, zeranol, oestradiol, progesterone, testosterone, melengestrol acetate, and recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), has increased milk and meat yields, but has also caused major worries about the safety of these substances for humans and the environment. Meat and dairy products include hormone residues that may affect the endocrine system, especially in susceptible groups, such as pregnant women and children. The lack of long-term data, methodological constraints, and problems in separating hormonal effects from other environmental toxins are some of the reasons why scientific evidence connecting hormone exposure to reproductive abnormalities and hormone-sensitive malignancies remains ambiguous. Concerns about cancer risk are increased by the rise in IGF-1 levels linked to rBGH usage. Aside from being a danger to aquatic species, residual hormones may also make it into ecosystems via excretion and end up in the food chain. The United States allows hormone usage under stringent residual limitations, but the European Union maintains a total prohibition; underdeveloped countries sometimes lack strong enforcement measures. Labelling products as hormone-free, advocating for organic farming, educating the public, and increasing research and monitoring are all ways to lessen the impact of this problem. To guarantee food safety and long-term public health protection, this review stresses the critical necessity of multidisciplinary research and standardised legislation to fill up the gaps in our present understanding.