Narrative reviewindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-RES-110 standard review
Hormones for fattening cattle: legal in some countries, banned in the EU
Anabolic Steroids in Fattening Food-Producing Animals-A Review.
Overview
Skoupa K et al.. Animals (Basel) 2022 · PMID 36009705 · DOI 10.3390/ani12162115
Anabolic steroids are permitted for fattening in countries such as the USA and Australia but banned in the EU.
Does the study support the specific claim? Partly · Methodological quality: low
Plain-language summary
Study explained simply
- What did the researchers want to find out?
How are anabolic steroids used in fattening animals, what are their effects and how are they detected?
- How was the study done?
Narrative review
- How many people, animals or samples were studied?
not applicable
- What was actually found?
States that in many countries (USA, Canada, China, Argentina, Australia and other large meat producers) use of steroids is permitted, whereas the EU strictly bans anabolic steroids in fattening animals; illegal 'cocktails' at very low concentrations are hard to detect.
- How large was the observed effect?
States that in many countries (USA, Canada, China, Argentina, Australia and other large meat producers) use of steroids is permitted, whereas the EU strictly bans anabolic steroids in fattening animals; illegal 'cocktails' at very low concentrations are hard to detect.
- What do the results mean in everyday life?
Whether beef comes from hormone-treated cattle depends on the country.
- What are the study's limitations?
Narrative review; non-systematic; Health effects described are those of abuse doses in humans
- What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?
Supports that the practice exists; does not show it in Egypt.
- Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?
EU bans the practice (Directive 96/22/EC).
- What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?
No residue or Egyptian data.
Scientific in-depth review
1. Full reference
- Authors
- Skoupa K et al.
- Journal
- Animals (Basel)
- Year
- 2022
- Identifier
- PMID 36009705 DOI 10.3390/ani12162115
- Verification
- verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26; Crossref 2026-10-26
- Retracted
- no
- Corrections
- none
- Extent checked
- abstract only
- Conflicts of interest and funding
not stated in abstract
2. Research question
How are anabolic steroids used in fattening animals, what are their effects and how are they detected?
3. Study design and population
- Study design
- Narrative review – Narrative review
- Population
Food-producing animals
- Country
international
- Period
literature to 2022
- Sample size
not applicable
- Inclusion and exclusion criteria
as described in the abstract
4. Methods and endpoints
- Exposure / intervention
Anabolic steroids
- Comparator
not applicable
- Endpoints
Use, legal status, effects, detection
- Statistical methods
as reported in the abstract
5. Actual results
- Results
States that in many countries (USA, Canada, China, Argentina, Australia and other large meat producers) use of steroids is permitted, whereas the EU strictly bans anabolic steroids in fattening animals; illegal 'cocktails' at very low concentrations are hard to detect.
- Absolute risks
not reported
- Authors' conclusion
Monitoring and new detection methods are needed.
6. Strengths
- Overview of legal status and detection
7. Weaknesses
- Narrative review; non-systematic
- Health effects described are those of abuse doses in humans
8. Risk of bias
- Orienting tool
- none applicable
- Type of assessment
- simplified assessment (abstract only)
- Full formal assessment
- no
- Overall risk of bias
- high
- Rationale
Narrative review.
9. Assessment of the statistical interpretation
Not applicable.
10. Relevance to the specific claim
Shows that hormone use in cattle fattening is legal in several countries and banned in the EU.
11. Independent contrary findings
12. Transferability to Germany and Europe
13. Overall methodological judgement
Anabolic steroids are permitted for fattening in countries such as the USA and Australia but banned in the EU.
| Multidimensional assessment | |
|---|---|
| Authenticity of the source | verified |
| Methodological quality | low |
| Risk of bias | high |
| Precision of results | not applicable |
| Directness | indirect |
| Reproducibility | unknown |
| Consistency with the overall evidence | consistent |
| Regional transferability | moderate |
| Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive) | not applicable |
14. Open questions
15. Linked fact checks
- Beef cattle are injected with hormones (testosterone/androgens, 'Boldex' - presumably boldenone) and antibiotics to fatten them, so the meat is 'injected'. – Studies with mixed or unclear results