XN000022-1983-06-08 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1983

THE MEDICAL AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT HAD SO FAR RECEIVED NO REPORT OF CASES ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF SYNTHETIC HORMONE RESIDUES IN FOOD, HE SAID.

BUT HE ADDED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO CORRELATE THE CAUSES AND EFFECT IN ANY PARTICULAR CASE.

+THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE SO FAR INDICATES THAT HORMONE RESIDUES IN MEAT POSE POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARDS.

+WHILE THERE MAY BE NO CONCLUSIVE PROOF IN ANY PARTICULAR CASE THAT CANCER HAS BEEN CAUSED BY THE HORMONE RESIDUE, THE LABORATORY EVIDENCE FROM TEST ANIMALS DOES GIVE SUFFICIENT CAUSE FOR CONCERN,+ MR JACOBS SAID.

THE SOUTH CHINA BREEDS OF CHICKEN PREFERRED BY THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WERE SLOW GROWING, HE SAID.

IMPLANTATION OF HEXOESTROL MADE THEM READY FOR SALE EARLIER, THUS REDUCING FEED AND LABOUR COSTS AND INCREASING THE LOCAL SUPPLIES, HE SAID.

VIRTUALLY ALL COCKERELS AND AN ESTIMATED 10 PER CENT OF PULLETS REARED LOCALLY WERE THUS IMPLANTED, HE ADDED.

AT PRESENT, SIX BRANDS OF HEXOESTROL PELLETS ARE REGISTERED UNDER THE PHARMACY AND POISONS REGULATIONS AS PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS PERMITTED FOR USE IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY.

WITH ONE OR TWO EXCEPTIONS, FULL INSTRUCTIONS WERE GIVEN BY THE MANUFACTURERS IN ENGLISH AND CHINESE ON SAFE DOSAGE AND THE PERIOD THAT MUST ELAPSE BEFORE THE BIRD COULD BE CONSUMED, MR JACOBS POINTED OUT.

+ IF HEXOESTROL IS PROPERLY USED, THERE SHOULD BE NO HORMONE RESIDUE REMAINING IN THE BIRD AT THE TIME OF CONSUMPTION BECAUSE THE HORMONE WILL HAVE BEEN FULLY METABOLISED AND EXCRETED.

+ I UNDERSTAND THAT THE POSSIBLE HEALTH HAZARD TO HUMANS COULD THEREFORE BE AVOIDED, + MR JACOBS SAID.

IF THE CORRECT DOSAGE WAS EXCEEDED OR IF THE FARMER PUT THE IMPLANTED BIRD ON THE MARKET BEFORE THE WITHDRAWAL PERIOD EXPIRED, HORMONES RESIDUES COULD REMAIN IN THE MEAT OF THE WHOLE BIRD. NOT JUST THE HEAD AND THE NECK WHERE HEXOESTROL WAS IMPLANTED, HE SAID.

FURTHERMORE, HE ADDED, THE RESIDUES DID NOT DECOMPOSE ON

COOKING.

OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT MAD TESTED 38 FRESHLY SLAUGHTERED AND FROZEN CHICKENS RANDOMLY SAMPLED FROM THE MARKET TO TEST THE PRESENCE OF SYNTHETIC HORMONE RESIDUES.

OF THESE, 19 WERE LOCALLY BRED CHICKENS, FOUR OF WHICH SHOWED THE PRÉSENCE OF SYNTHETIC HORMONE RESIDUES UP TO A LEVEL OF 0.1 PART PER MILLION OF CHICKEN FLESH, MR JACOBS REPORTED.

FIVE OF THE SAMPLES WERE FROM CHINA, WITH TWO OF THEM SHOWING SIMILAR RESULTS.

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