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European Commission Regulation (EC) No. 152/2009 imposes optical microscopy as the reference method for official controls to detect traces of animal protein in animal feed. Since 1 July 2004, the one-solvent technique has been the only authorised variant of optical microscopy. Its detection limit is 0.1% of meat-and-bone meal. Other techniques--using molecular biology (polymerase chain reaction, immunology), microscopy or near-infrared imaging--have been developed in the past ten years to supplement the official method, which has certain limitations. This paper compares and discusses the different techniques, highlighting the strengths of each technique in order to propose a feasible control scheme to improve the sensitivity and specificity of the technique for the detection of processed animal protein in livestock feed.

Natural and xenobiotic compounds having sex-related actions have long been used for growth promotion and various changes in carcass quality in meat animals. The first compounds used were synthetic estrogens; however, later on a whole battery of compounds having androgenic, and progestogenic actions have also been involved. In surveying the effects of these compounds in meat-producing animals, it became clear that these drugs increase the growth rate of the treated animals and bring about changes in the carcass that are generally characterized by lower fat content and more lean mass. Extensive studies undertaken in various countries, including the European Economic Community (EEC), have shown that if used according to good husbandry practices, the meat from treated animals does not have excessive amounts of residues compared with the endogenous amount of steroid production in the animals in question and also in human beings. The banning of these compounds in the European community brought a new phenomenon of illegal or black market cocktails. These mixtures of anabolic steroids are injected into the body of the animals rather than implanted in the ears, which is the normal practice in countries where they have not yet been banned. Several screening and confirmatory methods are now available for monitoring programs. However, these programs need excessive resources in terms of manpower, funds, and proper legislation, which in underdeveloped countries is questionable, particularly in the absence of strong scientific evidence for the exercise.