Hormonal Growth Promotants
Hormonal Growth Promotants (HGPs) are synthetic hormones used to boost growth or production in animals, including bovines (cattle) or bubalines (buffalo).
HGP products are widely used in cattle throughout Australia with the exception of the state of Tasmania. In Australia and the USA the use of HGPs is considered safe, but in the European Union (EU) they are banned. The EU has strict trade rules and will only import meat and offal free of HGPs.
To comply with the EU regulations on the importation of HGP-free meat, the APVMA controls the supply of HGPs in Australia using the National HGP Control and Monitoring System. Under the monitoring system managed by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) it is illegal to sell or supply HGPs unless the seller/supplier has a valid Notification Number issued by the APVMA. See more details on the sale and supply of HGPs.
Hormonal growth promotants review
Status: review completed
The APVMA reviewed the use of HGPs because of concerns over the adequacy of the instructions on product labels; the HGP product labels did not make clear the ways in which HGP products could be used. This posed a potential risk to the HGP-free meat trade with the EU and might have undermined the EU’s confidence in Australia’s ability to control and regulate the National HGP Control and Monitoring System.
In October 2001 the APVMA (formerly the NRA) released the Hormonal Growth Promotants Review Final Report (PDF, 138kb). In the report the APVMA recommended revising the label instructions on HGP products to precisely and accurately indicate the restrictions on the use of HGP products. Read a full history of the review.
| Review Report | Date |
|---|---|
| Hormonal Growth Promotants Review Final Report (PDF, 138kb) | Oct 2001 |
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Product Search
Search the PUBCRIS database for registered products that contain hormonal growth promotants.