Types of Hormones in Meat - Essay Example

of the English of the Concerned 25 April Hormones in Meat In the recent decades the usage of hormones in feed and as injectables to control the growth and development of animals has become an issue that has generated immense controversy. The farming groups and interests and the stakeholders associated with the beef industry tend to see the exploitation of hormones in livestock associated with major advantages in the sense that hormones allow the beef producers to get higher beef yield from their livestock, which directly results in higher profits. Still, it needs to be asserted that hormones, being biochemical, could have a bad impact on the health of unsuspecting consumers, and hence, the use of hormones in beef production ought to be controlled and checked if not banned (Gate 7). As per Schwartz, hormones happen to be the biochemicals that facilitate the exchange of information between cells in plants and animals (Schwartz 88). Hormones control the functioning of varied tissues in plants and animals and play an important role in the growth and development of varied organisms (Schwartz 88). Hormones could easily be integrated with the animal feed or delivered as injectables to control the growth and development in livestock. First and foremost, before embarking on the topic of the harmful impact of hormones on the beef consumers, it is imperative to understand why beef producers subject their livestock to hormones and the salient benefits of using hormones in beef production. It is a must to take into consideration the perspective and views of the beef industry regarding the usage of growth hormones on the livestock. Sims is of the view that synthetic derivatives of hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone have been approved by varied food and drug associated and agricultural institutions and are considered to be safe for usage on the livestock aimed to be sold as beef (Sims 119). They say that beef production is a business like any other business and the business community is always looking for the ways and means to make the best use of the existing scarce resources so as to get maximum yield and to accrue maximal benefits. The objective of the beef industry is to minimize inputs while trying their best to maximize outputs. It is said that during the last three decades, the beef producers have been relying on hormones to boost and maximize the production of beef. The beef producers claim that during the last thirty years, the exploitation of hormones to maximize beef production has proven to be a safe practice with little or no impact on the humans (Sims 119). Growth hormones are safe, and they are used on the livestock to boost the production of nutrients that already exist in their meat. Growth hormones not only yield cost benefits to the producers of beef thereby allowing them to get maximum beef while dedicating scarce resources, but they also help the consumers avail beef at a price that is affordable. If the beef is produced at a higher cost, the consumers will be required to pay a higher price for the beef they purchase. It needs to be understood that animals tend to have hormone levels that are different as compared to humans, and the residual of synthetic hormones left in the meat may turn out to be harmful to the consumers in some cases (Schwartz 51). Hence, the meat treated with synthetic sex hormones is not entirely safe for human consumption. When the animals are fed on or injected with hormones, the levels of hormones used on them may increase disproportionately, and when these residual hormones are passed on to the consumers, they may cause diseases like cancer. The uncontrolled usage of growth hormones in the beef industry may be a reason to worry for the unsuspecting consumers who intend to buy healthy nutrition for the money they pay. The residual sex hormones found in beef are not entirely safe for human consumption. For instance, many studies have linked breast cancer to the sex hormone estrogen present in the contraceptive pills, even though the concentration of estrogen in contraceptive pills is measured and controlled (Goldstein and Goldstein 68). The irony is that the extent of estrogen found in the beef is seldom measured and controlled, and in the light of this fact, one may best guess the impact of hormone tainted beef on the human health. As per Goldstein and Goldstein, “hormonal meat contributes to increased breast cancer rates, apart from cancer of the uterus, prostate and testis” (Goldstein and Goldstein 68). Also, as per an article published in Mail Online, beef tainted with artificial growth hormones could be the reason for infertility amongst a whole generation of human males (Wheldon). Studies put forward the possibility that hormone derivatives that are the steroids present in beef could really impact the growth of fetuses and may cause such fetuses to suffer from infertility when they grow up into adult males. This premise raises serious objections as to the presence of hormones in beef. It is quite possible that the maternal beef consumption leads to lower sperm concentrations in the male offspring that could cause them to be infertile as adult males. The fact is that the usage of growth hormones in the beef industry is far from being controlled and marked and to this date their exist very few studies that have conclusively proven the impact of hormones found in beef consumed by humans. However, there are many studies that link hormones to cancer, infertility and early puberty. Hence, the consumers of beef have the right to expect from the beef industry to be restrained in the usage of hormones on the livestock they nurture. The hormones present in the beef are certainly a cause of caution. Thereby, conclusively speaking, it is really important for the agricultural institutions to teach the farmers about the impact of hormones on the beef they produce and the impact it could have on the end consumer. Provided, stringent measures are taken to calibrate the use of hormones in the beef industry, such beef may little harm the end consumers. Also, though their exist statutory guidelines pertaining to the extent of hormones injected to livestock, still the government needs to put in place the institutions and mechanisms that strictly monitor the extent of hormones present in the beef sold in the market. More scientific study related to the impact of beef hormones on humans need to be conducted. The presence of hormones in beef if not controlled and restrained could result in serious consequences for the human populations. Works Cited Goldstein, Myrna Chandler & Goldstein, Mark A. Controversies in Food and Nutrition. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2007. Print. Schwartz, Erika. The Hormone Solution. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2008. Print. Sims, Laura S. The Politics of Fat. Armonk, NY: M.E.Sharpe, 2006. Print. Wheldon, Julie. “Sunday Roasts ‘Could have Hit Male Fertility.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers Ltd, 28 March 2007. Web. 23 May 2013. Read More