Nearly half of Australia’s cattle is treated with growth hormones. Is it safe to eat?

Australian beef could soon be sold in UK supermarkets under a trade deal to be finalised soon, but some are worried about the health implications

A potential increase in exports to the UK of Australian beef pumped with hormones has raised alarm food safety standards could be compromised.

In Australia, the use of veterinary drugs to make cattle grow bigger is widespread and deemed safe by regulatory bodies. But hormonal growth promotants have long been banned in Europe, and the UK government has pledged not to allow hormone-treated beef into British supermarkets.