Monitoring Residues of Growth-Promoting Hormones in Local and Imported Meats in the Egyptian Market and the Effect of Thermal Processing

Concerns over veterinary drug residues in the food supply chain pose significant risks to consumer health. This study aimed to quantify growth-promoting hormone residues (17α-methyltestosterone and progesterone) in 33 local and imported meat samples (muscle, liver, kidney) on the Egyptian market and to assess the mitigating effect of thermal processing. Using HPLC and LC-MS/MS, significant differences in hormone concentrations were found based on the country of origin, with imported organ meats showing the highest levels. American and Brazilian meats showed the highest 17α-methyltestosterone and progesterone, respectively. Crucially, the impact of thermal processing was found to be highly hormone-specific: grilling (200°C) significantly reduced progesterone concentrations (up to 80% reduction), whereas 17α-methyltestosterone proved remarkably stable (only ~27% reduction). These findings provide empirical evidence that cooking is an effective mitigation strategy for some, but not all, hormone residues and underscore the urgent need for stringent regulatory monitoring of imported meats to ensure consumer safety.