The residues in meat of seven estrogenic drugs used in anabolic preparations for animal production were analysed as trimethylsiiyl ethers by electron-impact gas chromatography-mass spectrometry following a simple clean-up procedure. The compounds under investigation were: ~7&estradiol, dieth~lstilbestrol, hexestrol, dienestrot, stilbestrol, ethynykzstradiol and zeranol. The method includes extractive homogenization of 10 g of meat in tetrahydrofuran, followed by liquid-liquid partition between acetonitrile and hexane and My a chromatogmphic pmi&ation step on a small silica get cohu~. Gas chromatography was carried out on a 10-m glass capWry column coated with SE-54 using a temperature program from 100 to 250°C. The capillary column was connected to the ion source by an all-glass open-split interface with a scavenger gas-fine. Detection of anabohc residues was performed with selected ion monitoring on intensive ions in the mass region above m/e 400, resulting in a detection limit of 1-5 ppb (W). Quantitative determinations were performed using dodecyl gallate as an internal standard applying the signal ratio of the drug and the standard. INTRODUCXION In many countries anaboiic drugs are used to improve the gxowth rate and the feed conversion of animals in livestock breeding. The use of drugs in meat production involves a possible health risk if residues remain in the meat. Therefore, sensitive methods of residue analysis are necessary for the surveillance of food from animal produce in the market. Biologid methods based on morphological alterations in the sexual organs of test animals are now of minor importance. Chromatographic methods, inciuding thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography and high-performance hquid chromatography, were developed for the residue analysis of single compounds as well as for groups of anabolic drugs. Reviews covering the chromatographic methods until 1976 and 1978 were given by Ryan1 and Giinthefi_ In the fast two years numerous mod&z&ions and improvements of existing