Hormones are substances produced in the body to stimulate many kinds of cells or tissues into a specific physiological response. They can also be synthetically produced in the laboratory.
Synthetically produced hormones are sometimes used to artificially enhance meat production (growth) in livestock. These hormones are known as hormonal growth promotants or ’HGPs'. They may be exact copies of natural substances normally produced in animals, or substances that mimic some of the actions of the natural hormones.
HGPs are used as quality enhancers to boost growth in some food animals. In many markets, eg, the USA and Australia, they are considered safe and are used extensively, but in the European Union they are banned. To protect the New Zealand meat trade to the EU their use is strictly controlled in New Zealand, so that meat from implanted animals is not sent to the EU.
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