Pentobarbital and dog meat
Should we be worried?
Should we be worried?
Controlled drug
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Pentobarbital and Meat
Pentobarbital is a controlled drug, commonly used in the euthanasia of animals
GBGB Disciplinary Committee Claims Cat3 Meat fed to greyhounds is responsible for findings of Pentobarbital in Urine
(Scroll down to see Prof Tim Morris report)
The Food Standards Agency says Pentobarbital is NOT approved to enter the food chain or be classed as Cat3 meat
(Scroll down to see full FSA response)
Food Standards Agency confirms that in order for meat to be categorised as category 3abp, it must not pose a risk to animal or human health and therefore must not contain levels of any prohibited veterinary medicines.
Understanding Categories of meat
Cat 1 high risk
Cat 2 high risk
Cat 3 low risk
Cat 3 meat
'Products or foods of animal originally meant for human consumption but withdrawn for commercial reasons, not because its unfit to eat'
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-by-product-categories-site-approval-hygiene-and-disposal
The response by the FSA (scroll down) appears to provide detail which contradicts the claims made at several different disciplinary hearings held by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain, in that Category 3 meat fed to greyhounds is likely cause, for pentobarbital found in greyhound urine
One of the Disciplinary hearings involving the feeding of cat3 meat and Pentobarbital
Disciplinary Committee Inquiry by the GBGB
involving professional greyhound trainer John Simpson
https://www.gbgb.org.uk/about/publications/
https://gbgb-prod-assets.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/19115025/Calendar-19-November-2021-Vol-13-No-23.pdf
4 Romford Stadium – DARK CRUSADER / EXPERT STAR – Professional Trainer Mr J Simpson Professional Trainer Mr John Simpson was found in breach of rules 152 (i), 174 (i)(b), 214 and 217 of the GBGB Rules of Racing in that urine samples taken from the greyhounds DARK CRUSADER on 5 May 2021 and EXPERT STAR on 15 May 2021 at Romford Stadium were analysed by LGC Health Sciences as containing the presence of pentobarbital and hydroxylated metabolites of pentobarbital and that he had in his charge a greyhound that showed the presence of a substance that by its nature could affect the performance of a greyhound or prejudice its wellbeing.
Mark Bird, on behalf of GRB, proposed that the Disciplinary Committee hear the two cases together. Mr Simpson confirmed that the procedure had been explained to him by Mr Bird and he had no objection to this.
Mr Simpson was in attendance. Mark Arkell, racing manager of Romford Stadium, and Professor Tim Morris, independent scientific adviser, were also in attendance.
On 5 May 2021 a pre-race urine sample was taken from the greyhound DARK CRUSADER at Romford stadium which, when analysed by LGC, tested positive for the presence of pentobarbital and hydroxylated metabolites of pentobarbital' On 15 May 2021 a pre-race urine sample was taken from the greyhound EXPERT STAR at Romford stadium which, when analysed by LGC, tested positive for the presence of pentobarbital and hydroxylated metabolites of pentobarbital' The Disciplinary Committee heard evidence from Professor Tim Morris to the effect that pentobarbital is available as a veterinary medicine as a concentrated solution for injection for euthanasia of animals in the UK. Pentobarbital affects dogs as it does other animals and people with increasing doses causing sedation, anaesthesia, and then death through respiratory and cardiac arrest. As a depressant of the nervous and respiratory systems it a substance which by its nature could affect the performance or prejudice the welfare of a greyhound.
Professor Morris gave very clear evidence that there have been a significant number of cases where meat described at Category 3 Animals By Product has contained drug residues. His opinion was that contaminated meat was by far the likeliest cause of these two positive tests. Mr Simpson produced receipts which show that he only feeds category 3 meat. He told the disciplinary committee that he has now stopped feeding beef to prevent any repetition of these incidents. In the judgment of the Disciplinary Committee, he was entitled to believe that the category 3 meat he was feeding to his greyhounds was free of drugs residues. He therefore is in no way to blame for these positive tests.
In those circumstances the Disciplinary Committee ordered that no further action be taken in this matter.
You can find more Greyhound Board of Great Britain Disciplinaries involving the findings of Pentobarbital in Greyhounds 'fed Cat3 meat' on their website.
Below is a response by the Food Standards Agency to a series of questions raised in relation to Category 3 meat and any presence of drug residue, especially Pentobarbital in beef.
Question; Is there any legal requirement for cat 3 beef to be tested for contamination of harmful drugs?
Answer; There is no requirement to test category 3 Animal-By-Products for residue levels of veterinary medicines. Animals that have been provided with medication are subject to withdrawal periods, during which time they are not permitted to be sent for slaughter for human consumption. Further, detailed health checks are conducted on animals presented for slaughter. The carcass of any animal slaughtered at an abattoir may be subject to veterinary medicines residue testing.
Question; Is all beef tested for contamination of Pentobarbital?
Answer; A yearly residue monitoring programme for food producing animals slaughtered in England, Wales and Scotland is coordinated by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) in which samples are obtained at the point of slaughter and analysed for levels of veterinary medicines, prohibited substances and other contaminants. Pentobarbital is not tested for within the Residues Monitoring Programme for cattle, or other food producing animals. Pentobarbital is approved only for use to euthanise animals and is prohibited from being used as an anaesthetic. It is not approved to be used in any food producing animals destined to be used as food for human or animal consumption. It therefore cannot have been administered to food producing animals that are presented for slaughter. As such, there is no established Maximum Residue Level for Pentobarbital. There is no reason for residues of this medicine to be present in animals presented at abattoirs for slaughter.
Question; Would a piece of beef contaminated with Pentobarbital be classified as cat 3 meat?
Answer; Pentobarbital is not approved for use on food producing animals destined to be used as food for human or animal consumption. As such, it would not be suitable to enter the food or feed chain or class as Category 3 Animal-by-Product.
Question; If your answer to no.3 is 'yes' would there be a legal requirement for this meat to be stained as a safety precaution.
Answer; There is no legal requirement for staining Category 3 Animal by Products. Staining is relevant to high-risk material categorised at Category 1 or Category 2 Animal-By-Product which must not be used for animal feed.
Question; Do purchasers of cat3 meat need to be concerned about it being contaminated with any drugs and are there any precautions they should take before feeding it to domesticated animals to ensure their safety?
Answer; In order to be categorised as Category 3 Animal-By-Product, the meat must not pose a risk to animal or human health and therefore must not contain levels of any prohibited veterinary medicines. It also must not contain residues of any approved veterinary medicines that exceeds the Maximum Residue Level (MRL).
Caged queried both the Greyhound Board of Great Britain and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate. The Greyhound Board of Great Britain marked their reply to us as 'Private and Confidential', and the latter was marked as 'Official Sensitive' therefore we are unable to publish them.
Caged Nationwide are in the process of contacting DEFRA for a comment and will update with any response
Caged Contacted Professor Tim Morris, Independent Scientific Adviser for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain - and expert in Anti Doping
Prof Morris Directed us to the following report
PENTOBARBITAL: HORSE RACING'S SOLUTION,GREYHOUND RACING'S PROBLEM;
www.scientialis.co.uk/ewExternalFiles/T%20Morris-pento.pdf
Prof Morris Directed us to the following report
PENTOBARBITAL: HORSE RACING'S SOLUTION,GREYHOUND RACING'S PROBLEM;
www.scientialis.co.uk/ewExternalFiles/T%20Morris-pento.pdf
