Malaysia Veterinary Forum (Archive)

Dr. TanDY · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:05 pm Post subject: Poison in your meat?

Poison in your meat

Apr 24, 06 4:28pm

Source: MalaysiaKini

The Consumers Association of Penang advises consumers to refrain from eating meat such as beef, mutton and pork as our tests have shown that it is tainted with Salbutamol, a banned growth enhancer.

In a random sampling on meat, three out of six samples tested were found to contain Salbutamol a beta-agonist. The samples of meat were bought from wet market on Penang island.

CAP is surprised that the Ministry of Health has not been able to curb the use of beta-agonist in meat by livestock breeders in spite of acknowledging the problem.

In June of 2004, the Ministry of Health acknowledged the fact that local farmers are using beta-agonist to produce more marketable lean meat. According to the Ministry of Health, between 70% and 84% of beef and pork were contaminated by the drug.

In May of 2003, CAP had raised this issue to the Ministry of Health as our random sampling on pork samples detected Salbutamol, a beta-agonist in two out of five samples tested. The samples of pork tested were bought from wet markets on Penang island and Bukit Mertajam.

It is ironical that a substance such as beta-agonist, a drug listed under the poisons schedule, could be obtained easily by the livestock breeders. Given the above situation, the Ministry of Health should find out from the local dealers of beta-agonist why the substance is easily available in spite of the existing legislation controlling it. At the same time the ministry should also not rule out the possibility that the beta-agonist used by the livestock breeders was obtained illegally.

In view of the present situation, CAP calls on the Ministry of Health to conduct a nationwide test on all types of meats for the presence of beta-agonist as the use of growth enhancers are now not only limited to pigs but to other types of livestock such as sheep, goats and cattle.

Meanwhile, consumers should refrain from eating meat until the ministry can prove that the meat sold in the market are free of beta-agonist.

The writer is the president of the Consumers Association of Penang.