Cattle steroid abuse now comes with a new test

Innovative new tests have been devised by scientists at Queen’s University Belfast to identify the illegal use of steroids in the European beef industry. These tests are not only far more accurate and convenient but also cheaper than the conventional doping tests in tracing the illegal drugs.

This study was led by Professor Chris Elliot, the Director of the Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use at Queen’s and published in the scientific journal Analytical Chemistry.

From Sciencedaily.com:

Using a commercial blood analyser commonly found in hospitals, the researchers measured 20 different chemical markers, including proteins and cholesterol, in cattle treated with and without the commonly used steroids testosterone and oestrogen over a 42-day study period.
The new test detected the presence of the steroids with a high accuracy rate - between 91 and 96 per cent.
Professor Elliot said: “In recent years, a trend of administration of very low dose cocktails of naturally occurring hormones has made conventional forms of analysis even more problematic.
“Even if minute traces of steroids can be detected, proving definitive illegal administration under these circumstances is close to impossible.
“The ability to detect evidence of such administrations using metabolic markers would be a major scientific advance.

It was remarked by Professor Elliot that a single incidence of steroid administration means that a minimized metabolic response can be generated compared with what could have been achieved through cocktail hormone treatments that are being abused in Europe.

The research was funded by the European Commission and safefood organization in Ireland.