Navigation und Service

Illegal active substances again used in food-producing animals

10/1997, 02.05.1997

BgVV asks Land examination bodies to pay greater attention in residue control

The Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine, BgVV, has been notified of cases in which the active substance, brombuterol, has been illegally used in food-producing animals. The results were obtained during official residue controls. The results are co-ordinated within BgVV, the national central office. The active substance from the group of ß-agonists has not been given marketing authorisation as a veterinary medicinal product, even for therapeutic purposes. In the past another ß-agonist, clenbuterol, was repeatedly used illegally for fattening purposes. For clenbuterol, which unlike brombuterol is authorised as a veterinary medicinal product for therapeutic purposes, a ban on use came into force on 1 July 1997. The brombuterol findings indicate, in the opinion of BgVV, that this active substance is used as an illegal alternative in calves and cattle. BgVV has asked the Land control authorities to pay greater attention to this in their residue controls.

After cases of illegal brombuterol use had become known in other European countries, BgVV included the substance for precautionary reasons in the Residue Monitoring Plan in 1996 which triggered a routine investigation programme by official residue control. From the notified cases and also from the information available to BgVV, a health threat to the consumer cannot be derived from the amounts of brombuterol found (up to 0.70 ng/ml urine). In order to prevent brombuterol being used in the future on a larger scale, BgVV has asked the Land control authorities through the Federal Ministry for Health to pay special attention to the control of brombuterol. If control authorities do not yet have the necessary reference standard, this can be obtained from the EU Reference Laboratory for Veterinary Medicinal Product Residues at BgVV.

Since brombuterol is not an authorised veterinary medicinal product, no maximum residue levels have been laid down for this active substance. It is generally known about ß-agonists that they can trigger acute symptoms of poisoning in humans at very high doses. The typical symptoms of overdose include muscular tremors, ventricular tachycardia, headaches, muscle pain, nervosity, and under certain circumstances vomiting and vertigo.

Up