Officials seize illegal beef

Tonnes of meat destined for shops was contaminated

Department of Agriculture vets in Northern Ireland have moved in to seize beef contaminated with illegal growth promoters.

The authorities moved in when the animals were delivered from a beef fattening farm to a local abattoir.

Officials said on Thursday that initial tests suggested that illegal substances had been used in animals in the batch presented.

Tonnes of meat destined for shops has now been dumped.

No other details of the operation were released by the department.

For Northern Ireland's meat cheats, the illegal trade is a lucrative one.

They use cocktails of unlicensed anabolic steroids, or sex hormones, which pack a powerful punch and could seriously damage human health.

Illegal cocktails of drugs were recovered from a farm in County Tyrone earlier this year.

BBC Northern Ireland rural affairs correspondent Martin Cassidy said: "We have all heard about the illegal use of such steroids in sport.

"Athletes use them to try and gain an unfair advantage by rapidly bulking up their body weight and muscles.

Anabolic steroids can cause damage to the body's major organs

"When injected into cattle these hormones do exactly the same thing.

"Faster growing cattle mean more profit for the meat cheats. But ultimately its you at home who could pay a heavy price."

Too many anabolic steroids can potentially cause damage to many of the body's major organs, especially the liver.

They can also stretch the heart muscle to breaking point and cause a heart attack.

Large quantities of unlicensed steroid cocktails can also increase the risk of cancer.

And there other potential side effects too. In extreme cases, these hormones have caused men to begin developing breasts.

In women, they have led to deepening of the voice and facial hair.

By seizing the beef carcases, the authorities have stopped the steroids reaching the food chain.