Is hormone administration regulated?
Yes. FDA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture collaborate to provide consumers with a safe food supply by ensuring the proper use of hormones in cattle. FDA regulations allow the use of hormones in the form of implants, which have very specific instructions for proper usage. Hormones are used in beef production to sustain a high quality and affordable beef supply. Careful federal regulation and oversight of the use of hormones can assure consumers that beef from cattle treated with hormones are safe. Is there a level or limit for hormone dosage? Yes. The prescribed dosage is the level that will produce optimal results. In fact, there is no benefit to using more – only additional costs – thus eliminating the incentive for farmers and producers to increase dosage. The hormone levels in beef produced using growth hormones are well within the range of naturally occurring levels of these hormones in beef cattle.
