The European Union has banned the use of synthetic hormones to boost animal size

Shoppers may have to accept meat bulked up with growth promoters as part of a future trade deal with America, the British beef industry has warned.

The European Union has banned the use of synthetic hormones, which can add up to 20lb of meat to a beef animal. An EU scientific committee in 2002 said the use of hormones “poses a potential health risk to consumers”.

Chris Mallon, national director of the US National Beef Association, said British beef farmers considered growth promoters “abhorrent”, but officials will be under pressure to abide by a World Trade Organisation decision in 1998 declaring the EU ban unlawful.

He said: “We will continue to produce the premium product. Labelling will be more important and [US product] will have