The god of medicine

Prohibited substances for creating super lean pigs like Salbutamol and Clenbutarol are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. So when people will absorb these substances when eating super lean pork. If eating pork has a residue of lean substance for a long time, the human body will be poisoned, adversely affecting health can even be dangerous to life.

Consumers are confused by the information that banned substances are used to create super lean pigs. The Department of Animal Health monitoring in some southern provinces showed that 43% of urine samples collected from livestock farms gave positive results for β-agonist groups, 26% of meat samples were taken from slaughterhouses. There is this banned substance.

β-agonist uses super lean piglets to cause great harm to consumers' health.

According to data from the Ministry of Public Security, in 2015, over 20 enterprises participated in importing 9,140kg Salbutamol to Vietnam. However, of the 6 tons sold to the market, only 10kg was used properly. The majority of imported drugs are sold to livestock to make lean for pigs.

Prohibited substance used to create super lean pigs

β-agonists are a group of natural hormones that work to relax the bronchial muscles, relax the uterus, and stimulate insulin release and glucose resolution.

According to scientific literature, the β-agonist family consists of 2 groups. The group of β1-agonist: such as Dobutamine, Isoproterenol, Xamoterol, Epinephrine . has the effect of stimulating the heart, used to treat cardiogenic shock, acute heart failure. Group β2-agonist: such as Salbutamol (Albuterol), Clenbuterol, Epinephrine . relaxes muscles, used to treat asthma, chronic lung disease.

In Veterinary Medicine, only Clebuterol is allowed to treat bronchitis in horses, calves and in obstetrics of cows.

Besides these effects, β-agonists have been shown to be quite effective transducers, reducing body fat, stimulating muscle growth in cattle (pigs, sheep) and poultry, then people β-agonists must be used 5-10 times more.

The use of complementary β-agonists in animal feed to increase the rate of lean meat, reduce fat, make red meat more beautiful and not only happens in Vietnam but all over the world, especially in developing countries.

Among the β-agonists, Salbutamol, Clenbuterol and Ractopamine are the top three in the list of 18 antibiotics and chemicals banned from use in livestock in Vietnam and most countries in the world. Among the illegally used types of β-agonists in livestock is Salbutamol.

Eating pork also has a long-lasting residue of Salbutamol, which can cause unreasonable health effects.(Illustration).

Salbutamol is the substance used to make osteoporosis drugs that manage asthma and is still licensed by the Ministry of Health. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has long recommended not to use this substance in livestock. In Vietnam, since 2002, this substance has been banned from use in livestock .

For this reason, many domestic units have " circumvented the law " to import Salbutamol for the purpose of making medicines but actually sell them out to make lean meat for pigs . And this, according to experts will leave incalculable consequences.

According to Assoc. Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh, Institute of Biotechnology - Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, farmers often mix this substance with pig food for 1-2 months, even 15 days. After using for about half a month, farmers have to give pigs to slaughter because otherwise they will degenerate, possibly die.

" Therefore, if eating fattened pork with lean substance, the user will eat directly the residue of those substances, " said Prof Thinh.

Long residue despite processing

If consumers eat animal products that contain β-agonist residues, poisoning and severe poisoning can be life-threatening.

Assoc. Duong Thanh Liem, Department of Animal Husbandry, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, said these stimulants are chemicals that can remain in the animal body for a long time even when processed, not damaged when processing. At high temperatures such as frying, baking, affecting the health of users.

According to scientists, Salbutamol and Clenbutarol are easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, so how much of this substance remains in the meat, the more meat users will absorb. This substance is especially dangerous for pregnant women and young children.

Dr. Integrity warning, if eating meat residues can be affected immediately with the symptoms of tremors such as tremor, heart palpitations, palpitations, nervous nerves can last for many hours to many days . Very dangerous for people with cardiovascular disease. In China, which previously used this substance to cause poisoning, hundreds of people were hospitalized.

The group of pig stimulants also puts women at risk of breast cancer , and can cause gender disruption to the fetus in pregnant women. For men can develop testicular cysts, varicose veins, volume, low semen quality, changes in sexual behavior, a homosexual state, or neurological diseases , easily depressed, depressed, weakened awareness, pituitary harm, mammary gland damage, weakened antibody system .

Identify symptoms and handle

Expression of poisoning with ractopamine and clenbuterol in β-agonist group including: anxiety insecurity, arrhythmia, tinnitus, heart palpitations, facial muscles and marked tremors, muscle pain, nausea, blood pressure high, in severe cases can coma. Incubation period from 30 minutes - 2 hours, depending on the amount of meat eaten.

When determining the consumption of super-lean meat with toxic substances, the first thing to do is to drink plenty of water so that the toxin is excreted, then go to the hospital to be assigned the next treatment. Emergency at home is as follows:

1. Gastric lavage with a violet solution of 1: 5000 ratio or 1% tannic acid.
2. Use 40-60ml laxative drug magnesium sulfate to stimulate outward travel.
3. Take atenol (altenolol) antagonist 12.5-25mg, 3 times a day to prevent arrhythmia, after the heart rate has stabilized to 12.5mg, 2 times a day, continuously for 3 days . Propranolol can be used (not for patients with asthma or a history of obstructive pulmonary), 10-30mg each time, 3 times continuously for 3 days.
4. Intravenous infusions of 1000ml isotonic salt infusion with glucose supplemented with 1.0 mg of vitaminC.

How to identify pork containing lean substance

Choose safe meat

Clean pork has a thick layer of fat, fresh pink, firm

1. Choose meat with dry outer membrane, bright red or dark red color, shiny, normal color, bright, dry cuts.
2. Avoid meat that is slightly green or slightly dark, even black, not shiny, viscous outer film.
3. Fresh, delicious meat must have a shiny layer of fat, a lean part with a firm, high elasticity, taking a finger press without leaving a dent or stick.
4. No strange smell, rancid smell or antibiotic smell.

The following signs to identify meat using lean substance

Super lean pork contains chemicals that glow red but finished washing turns pale

1. Pork uses lean substance with a thin layer of fat (less than 1 cm), skin is stretched, unusually thin, dark red like beef color. The fat layer of normal pigs is 1.5-2 cm thick.
2. When slicing if the piece of meat is soft, it cannot stand.
3. The part between the lean part and the fat part is clearly separated, often with a yellow fluid oozing out.
4. When eating often feels dry, no fat taste of meat.