Fera scientists can undertake screening procedures to detect trenbolone and zeranol within food samples. Trenbolone is an anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS), used in veterinary to improves muscle mass, and appetite. It works as a growth promoter, increasing feed efficiency, and mineral absorption in cattle. Zeranol is also a growth promoter in livestock, including beef cattle.

The EU prohibited the use of substances with a hormonal action for growth promotion in farm animals. Examples of these kinds of growth promoters include both zeranol, and trenbolone acetate. Importantly, this prohibition applies not only to the Member States, but also imports from third countries where their use may be approved. The legal instrument in force is Directive 96/22/EC as amended by Directive 2003/74/EC. Fera food scientists are able to highlight and quantify the levels of trenbolone (17-α-trenbolone), zeranol and its epimer taleranol, within liver, urine and fish muscle.

The analytical methods used at Fera are based on liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The methods have been validated in accordance with the principles set out in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. Our analysis is accredited to ISO17025 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).