clean sport
Unfortunately not, as the biggest risk of getting a positive dope test comes not from knowingly used banned substances, but rather from accidental contamination. Which is why any product which loudly proclaims ‘Guaranteed no banned substances’ ‘Contains no banned ingredients’, or similar, should be treated with a little scepticism. I’m afraid it isn’t enough just to check the ingredients. How do we know that all the right safeguards have been put in place to ensure that there has been no accidental contamination? What the serious competitor needs is evidence of rigorous checks by the manufacturer.
BETA NOPS
Luckily there is such a scheme that competitors can trust. BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) working in combination with globally recognised quality audit bodies launched, the BETA NOPS Code back in 2009. The BETA NOPS Code is an assurance scheme to reduce the risk of accidental contamination by Naturally Occurring Prohibited Substances (NOPS). The prohibited substances they are particularly looking for include the following, although please note this is not an exclusive list (source in brackets). • Caffeine – (coffee) • Theobromine – (chocolate) • Theophylline – (tea) • Morphine – (opium poppy, Papaver somniferum)
• Hyoscine – (nightshade, Datura)
• Hordenine – (germinating barley)
• Atropine – (nightshade – Atropa belladonna)
• Nicotine – from tobacco
These are NOPS that could conceivably get into the horse’s feed chain not just directly from the feed as it is being grown, such as hordenine on barley, but also from cross contamination. For example, one of the more common NOPS detected is Morphine, which is commercially grown as white poppies across Europe and more widely, for medicine production. Just think how easily poppy seeds might be blown from the crop field to a cereal field heading for horse feed? Now consider that it takes just one of those poppy seeds in horse feed to produce a positive dope test, so it’s certainly a challenge for manufacturers to ensure their products are suitable for competition use.
The BETA NOPS Code ensures all materials used are risk assessed, all suppliers are carefully chosen and all manufacturing processes are carefully controlled to minimise the risk of NOPS contamination from farm to shop. Checking that any feed or supplement for competition horses and ponies carries the NOPS logo should reassure owners, producers and trainers that everything possible has been done to minimise the risk from accidental contamination.
Waiting for a feed; make sure your hands are clean, not potentially contaminated with that
yummy chocolate biscuit you ate earlier Image courtesy of Hamish Mitchell Photography
Ready for competition but don’t let any well meaning friends share
their picnic goodies with your horse Image courtesy of Hamish Mitchell Photography
www.theequinesite.co.uk
NAF and BETA NOPS Here at NAF we’ve been BETA NOPS accredited since its inception. As one of the first supplement manufacturers to pass the strict criteria required we take our commitment to Clean Sport very seriously indeed. NAF tests every raw material and every end product for NOPS. We also insist our suppliers meet the highest criteria, and often even turn those down producing ingredients for human consumption as they’re simply not good enough for our competing horses! For example, any ingredient supplier who also handles baking goods, such as chocolate or coffee (both would produce positives), will not be accepted by us, as the risk of cross contamination is too great. Our suppliers themselves also need to be accredited to high standard quality audits, such as GMP or UFAS, which again means we need to turn a lot down. Of course this limits who we can potentially purchase ingredients from, meaning we usually end up paying a little more, but we feel it’s a price worth paying.
NEWS Recently concerns were raised over the use of MSM in supplements for competing horses. As MSM is a nutritionally important ingredient in many products worldwide it was something we were all keen to address. BETA worked closely with the FEI, which has now issued a statement to reassure competitors that the use of MSM in feed is not of concern to the authorities.
NOPS and YOU Don’t forget your own
responsibilities. As owners, riders and producers you have your own role to play in feed safety for competing horses. Just take a look back at the list of NOPS for competing horses, and you can see how ill-advised it would be to enjoy a cup of coffee and a chocolate biscuit in the feed room! Anyone handling feed for competing horses should be aware of the risks and take suitable precautions such as keeping your own snacks away from horse feed, keeping any medications strictly separate and cleaning buckets after every use. For further information how you can reduce the risk on your own yard, see the BETA Guide to Avoiding Prohibited Substances online.
http://www.beta-uk.org/ media/trade/download/BETA%20 Prohibed%20Substances%20 Guide%20Final%20A3%20Poster. pdf
Equine Page 43
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
