Chemist: Hormone-treated beef dangerous

A British chemist has urged the government to keep its ban on beef treated with growth hormones.

John Verrall was a consumer representative on an advisory committee, the Daily Mail reports. He disagreed with the majority on the Veterinary Products Committee, which is about to release a report recommending that the ban be lifted.

Verrall points to research linking growth hormones to early puberty in girls, increasing their risk for breast cancer later in life. He says that research shows that the hormones may also cause genital abnormalities in boys.

"Recent studies show that children are extremely sensitive to some hormones," he said.

Lifting the ban in the European Union would allow farmers there to use hormones to speed growth and the import of beef from the United States that has been treated with growth hormones.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International