Ingredient Index

Is Zilpaterol banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes: zilpaterol is a beta-agonist growth drug for cattle, and the EU bans that whole class in food animals. The US approved it in 2006, though the main brand was pulled from the US market in 2013 over animal-welfare concerns.

CAS: 119520-06-8 Also seen as: Zilpaterol hydrochloride, Zilmax

What the EU does

Banned by class. Zilpaterol is a beta-agonist, a drug that redirects an animal's metabolism to build lean muscle instead of fat in the final weeks before slaughter. The EU prohibits the use of beta-agonists in farm animals raised for food under Council Directive 96/22/EC, with only narrow veterinary exceptions unrelated to growth promotion. Zilpaterol is not authorized in the EU.

This is the same regulatory logic that keeps ractopamine, another beta-agonist, out of EU meat. Rather than assess each such drug one by one, the EU drew a line around the category and treats growth-promotion use of beta-agonists as off-limits.

Citation Council Directive 96/22/EC (prohibition of beta-agonists in stockfarming); EFSA opinion on zilpaterol MRLs, 2016

What the US does

Approved, but effectively off the US market. The FDA approved zilpaterol hydrochloride (marketed as Zilmax) for cattle in 2006, to increase weight gain and carcass leanness in the last few weeks on feed. In 2013, after reports of severe lameness and other welfare problems in treated cattle, the manufacturer suspended US sales, and the product has largely stayed off the market since.

So the honest picture is layered: the drug carries US approval, which the EU never granted, but commercial use in the US collapsed on its own over animal-welfare concerns rather than a formal ban. The EU position is the categorical one.

Citation FDA new animal drug approval for zilpaterol (2006); 21 CFR 522/556 provisions; manufacturer suspension of US sales, 2013

Products that commonly contain it

A cattle feed drug, zilpaterol is a potential residue in beef rather than a labeled ingredient:

Conventionally raised US beef (though active use is now limited)
Beef from export systems that permit beta-agonists

What to look for on a label

Beef labels do not name it, so the signals are indirect:

Certified organic beef prohibits growth-promoting drugs
"Grass-fed" and "no added hormones/drugs" programs generally exclude beta-agonists
EU-sourced beef comes from a system that bans the whole class

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Frequently asked questions

Is zilpaterol banned in Europe?

Yes. It is a beta-agonist, and the EU bans that class of growth drugs in food animals under Directive 96/22/EC.

Is zilpaterol used in US beef?

It is FDA-approved, but the main product (Zilmax) was pulled from the US market in 2013 over animal-welfare concerns, so active use is limited.

How is it different from ractopamine?

Both are beta-agonists used to add lean muscle in cattle or pigs. Ractopamine stayed in wide US use; zilpaterol's main brand left the US market. The EU bans both.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed July 27, 2026 · How we assign statuses