Monday, May 20, 2019

EU - Report on Chemical Residues in Animals and Animal Products

The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) released their 2017 report on the presence of residues of  veterinary medicinal products and certain substances in live animals and animal products in the 
European Union (EU).  The study look at pharmaceutical compounds, antimicrobials, and environmental contaminants such as mycotoxins.   The results showed good compliance with regulations.  Overall in 2017, the percentage of non-compliant targeted samples (0.35%) was comparable to the previous 10 years (0.25%–0.37%).

This may serve as a good reference if importing animal products from the EU.

EFSA Technical Report
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/sp.efsa.2019.EN-1578
Report for 2017 on the results from the monitoring of veterinary medicinal product residues and other substances in live animals and animal products
APPROVED: 8 February 2019
doi:10.2903/sp.efsa.2019.EN-1578
European Food Safety Authority

Summary

The present report summarises the monitoring data from 2017 on the presence of residues of  veterinary medicinal products and certain substances in live animals and animal products in the
European Union (EU).

The presence of unauthorised substances, residues of veterinary medicinal products or chemical
contaminants in food may pose a risk factor for public health. The EU legislative framework defines
maximum limits permitted in food and monitoring programmes for the control of the presence of
these substances in the food chain. Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 establishes maximum limits for
residues of veterinary medicinal products in food-producing animals and animal products. Maximum
residue levels for pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin are laid down in
Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. Commission Regulation (EC) 1881/2006 lays down the maximum limits for the presence of certain contaminants in animal products. Council Directive 96/23/EC lays down measures to monitor certain substances and residues thereof, mainly veterinary medicinal products, in live animals and animal products. Additionally, Commission Decision 97/747/EC lays down levels and frequencies of sampling for certain animal products.

In the framework of Article 31 of Regulation EC 178/2002, the European Commission (EC) requested the assistance of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to collect data obtained by the Member States in accordance with Directive 96/23/EC and in the annual preparation by the Commission services of a Communication to the European Parliament and the Council.

In 2017, 28 European Union (EU) Member States reported in the framework of the residue monitoring the results for 708,880 samples. A total of 360,293 targeted samples and 55,088 suspect samples were reported under Council Directive 96/23/EC. Additionally, 276,957 samples collected in the framework of other programmes developed under the national legislation and 16,542 samples
checked at import, were reported. The data analysis presented in this report was focused on the
targeted samples reported under Council Directive 96/23/EC. Samples collected through other
sampling strategies (suspect, import or ‘other’) do not follow a designed monitoring plan; therefore,
results on those samples were reported separately from the results on targeted samples.

The majority of Member States fulfilled the requirements for sampling frequency laid down in Council Directive 96/23/EC and in Commission Decision 97/747/EC.  

Overall, there were 1,273 or 0.35% of non-compliant samples out of the 360,293 targeted samples in
2017. 

For Group A, no non-compliant samples were reported for stilbenes and derivatives (A1). For
antithyroid agents (A2), there were 0.42% non-compliant samples, all for thiouracil, most likely due to feeding diets rich in cruciferous plants. In the group of steroids (A3), non-compliant samples (all for anabolic steroids) were found in bovines (0.28%), pigs (0.11%) and sheep and goats (5.77 %). For corticosteroids, non-compliant results for authorised substances were reported under ‘other
pharmacologically active substances’ (B2f). In the group of resorcylic acid lactones (A4), 0.17% of the samples were non-compliant for zearalanone and derivatives; the non-compliant samples were found in bovines (0.29%), sheep and goats (1.23%) and horses (0.97%). For beta-agonists (A5), there were 0.02% non-compliant samples in total, all reported for bovines. Prohibited substances (A6) were found in 0.03% of samples. Substances identified were chloramphenicol (n = 8), nitroimidazoles (n = 2) and nitrofurans (n = 18).

For Group B1 (antibacterials), 0.26% of the samples analysed under the Directive 96/23/EC
monitoring were non-compliant. The highest frequency of non-compliant samples for antibacterials
was found in honey (0.83%).

In group B2 (other veterinary drugs), the highest proportion of non-compliant samples was found for
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (B2e) (0.27%). For NSAIDs (B2e), the non-compliant samples were reported across the different species as follows; 0.05% for bovines, 0.06% for sheep and goats, 0.66% for horses, 0.06% for pigs and 0.96% for milk. Instances of non-compliance for anthelmintics (B2a) were reported in bovines (0.10%), pigs (0.04%), sheep and goats (0.89%), milk (0.17%) and poultry (0.03%).

For anticoccidials (B2b), 0.15% of the samples analysed were non-compliant and were reported
across the different species as follows; 0.85% in horses, 0.01% in pigs, 0.21% in poultry, 0.65% in
rabbits and 0.47% in eggs. Since 2009, an important decrease has been observed in the frequency of
non-compliant samples for anticoccidials (B2b) in poultry. This decrease is most likely the result of the awareness and the measures that followed the implementation of the Commission Directive
2009/8/EC setting up maximum levels of unavoidable carry-over of coccidiostats in non-target feed.
No non-compliant samples were reported for pyrethroids (B2c). For sedatives (B2d), one noncompliant sample was reported in pigs only (0.02%). Non-compliant samples were reported for ‘other pharmacologically active substances’ (B2f), in bovines (0.19%), pigs (0.03%) and poultry (0.05%).

In the group B3 (other substances and environmental contaminants), the chemical elements (B3c)
had the highest overall percentage of non-compliant samples (4.69%), with cadmium, lead, mercury
and copper being most frequently identified. Non-compliant samples were reported for organochlorine compounds (B3a) and organophosphorus compounds (B3b); 0.22% and 0.01%, respectively. For mycotoxins (B3d), there were non-compliant samples reported for bovines (0.24%), pigs (0.43%), sheep and goats (0.76%), and milk (0.76%); with those identified being zearalenone and derivatives, ochratoxin A, aflatoxin B1 and aflatoxin M1. For dyes (B3e), non-compliant samples were reported for aquaculture (1.79%). The substances found were malachite green, leuco-malachite green, crystal violet and leuco-crystal violet. For ‘other substances’ (B3f), non-compliant samples were reported for honey (0.41%), eggs (0.10%) and poultry (0.14%). The substances identified were fipronil, thiacloprid, captan/folpet and boscalid.

In 2017, the overall frequency of non-compliant samples (0.35%) was comparable to the previous
10 years (0.25%–0.37%).

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