U.S. `Redoubles’ Efforts to Detect DES

April 3, 2000

In the aftermath of a claim by Switzerland that low levels of diethylstilbestrol (DES) were found in two samples of U.S. beef, two agencies have "redoubled" their efforts to analyze DES levels. DES promotes growth in the animal and is banned for use in food animal production in the United States.

"Furthermore, there is no logical use for DES in U.S. beef, because other effective growth promotants are approved," food safety Under Secretary Catherine E. Woteki said in a report on the subject. "DES may be used in the United States for treatment of non-food producing animals within a valid veterinarian-client-patient relationship and is used for treatment of incontinence in female dogs. DES also is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of prostate cancer in men."

Switzerland recently provided USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service with a copy of a report by the European Union Communities Reference Laboratory in Bilthoven, The Netherlands, regarding results of tests on the two samples found positive for DES by the Swiss.

Woteki says the laboratory’s conclusion is, "Based on these results we must conclude that our analyses do not confirm the presence of DES in the samples submitted for analysis." Bilthoven’s detection limit is at least 100 times grater than the level allegedly detected by the Swiss, Woteki notes.

For this reason, she continues, "it is unclear why the Swiss would send the samples to that laboratory for confirmation."

The beef from which the Swiss took samples last July was exported form a cutting plant that receives beef from various U.S. slaughter houses. FSIS initiated an investigation of the company immediately after learning of the findings. Because the samples tested for DES were taken during a random check of imports, the Swiss government did not retain the beef from which the samples were taken and the product went to market.

Swiss authorities temporarily removed the company from the list of plants approved for export pending investigation and appropriate FSIS guarantees. The Swiss did retain a later shipment of beef from the plant, tested it and released the shipment when the test results proved negative. Woteki says the company remains delisted.

For the past seven months the U.S. Center for Veterinarian Medicine has carried out an "intensive investigation," says Woteki. CVM is nearing a conclusion on the investigation and has not uncovered any misuse of DES in food animals.

The Food and Drug Administration told FSIS Feb. 10 that it now is capable of detecting DES at a level as low as 20-30 parts per trillion, which is within the range "allegedly detected by the Swiss," says Woteki. FSIS predicts it will be able to detect DES at 10 ppt by mid-April.

For background on this incident, go to the Internet at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/background/des.htm