Hormonal growth promotants Chemical Review

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 European Union and might have undermined the European Union’s confidence in Australia’s ability to control and regulate the National HGP Monitoring Control System.

Any misuse of HGP products had the potential to undermine the European Union’s confidence in Australia’s ability to control and regulate the National HGP Monitoring Control System. The monitoring system is subject to audit by the European Union at any time. Any deficiencies in the procedures or record keeping could pose a potential risk to Australia's HGP-free meat trade with the European Union.

In October 2001 the APVMA released the Hormonal growth promotants review final report. The report was based on information obtained from a variety of sources including scientific studies and other information submitted by registrants, contributions from members of the public and from community and government organisations, and a search of the scientific literature.

The APVMA found that the existing HGP labels were not enforceable under the HGP monitoring system and that the labels did not carry instructions that precisely and accurately restricted the use of the product as intended.

In the final report, the APVMA recommended:

• revising all HGP product labels to include the words, ‘This product must only be supplied in accordance with division 2 part 4 of the Agvet Regulations (Supply of hormonal growth promotants)’. These Regulations relate to the obligations of manufacturers, importers and suppliers
• revising all HGP product labels to include product-specific use statements such as, ‘For use only in (species for which the product is registered)’
• cancelling the approval of the former HGP product labels (effective 12 October 2001), with all products carrying the cancelled labels to be removed from sale by 30 April 2003.