Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods

Testing for residues

Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods
(Host Government - United States)

The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) determines priorities for the consideration of residues of veterinary drugs in foods and recommends Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for veterinary drugs.

A Codex Maximum Limit for Residues of Veterinary Drugs (MRL) is the maximum concentration or residue that results from the use of a veterinary drug (expressed in mg/kg or g/kg on a fresh weight basis) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted or recognised as acceptable in or on a food.

An MRL is based on the type and amount of residue considered to be without any toxicological hazard from human health as expressed by the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)*, or on the basis of a temporary ADI that utilises an additional safety factor. An MRL also considers public health risks as well as food technology issues.

*Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): an estimate by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the amount of a veterinary drug, expressed on a body weight basis, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk (standard man – 60kg).

When establishing a MRL, residues that occur in food of plant origin and/or the environment are also considered. Furthermore, a MRL may be reduced to be consistent with good practices in the use of veterinary drugs to the extent that practical and analytical methods are available.

Existing Codex Standards

Standards relating to residues of veterinary drugs in foods* that have been endorsed and adopted into the international food code include standards on:

Control of the Use of Veterinary Drugs
Glossary of Terms and Definitions (Veterinary Drugs Residues in Foods)
Guidelines for the Establishment of a Regulatory Program for Control of Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods
Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs in Food

* This is an indicative list only. For a full list of standards approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, please consult its Official List of Standards

Outcomes of the 34^th Codex Alimentarius Commission

The 34^th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission:

Adopted at Step 8 the MRLs for narasin (pig tissues) and tilmicosin (chicken and turkey tissues)
Approved new work on Performance criteria for multi–residue analytical methods for veterinary drug residue analyses (Appendix to the Guidelines for the design and implementation of national regulatory food safety assurance programmes associated with the use of veterinary drugs in food producing animals (CAC/GL 71–2009)) and
Approved the Priority List of Veterinary Drugs for evaluation by JECFA

Last Meeting

The 19^th Session of the Committee met in Burlingtion, Vermont, USA from 30 August to 3 September 2010.

Matters for Adoption/Consideration by the 34^th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

The Committee agreed to forward to the Commission:

Draft and proposed draft Standards and Related Texts for adoption at Step 8 and 5/8 of the Procedure

Draft MRLs for narasin in pig tissues and tilmicosin in chicken and turkey tissues for adoption at Step 8

Proposals for new work

A project document on new work on the development of guidance on performance characteristics for multiresidues methods to be appended to the Guidelines for the Design and Implementation of National Regulatory Food Safety Assurance Programmes Associated with the Use of Veterinary Drugs in Food Producing Animals (CAC/GL 71-2009)

Other Matters

The Committee agreed to:

circulate the proposed amendments to the Risk Analysis Principles for the CCRVDF for comments and consideration at the next session;
retain the draft MRLs for narasin in cattle tissues at Step 7 for further consideration in the light of the JECFA assessment of the analytical method;
revise the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the CCRVDF and the Risk Assessment Policy for the Setting of MRLs for Veterinary Drugs with special emphasis to: the revision of Section 3.2 “Evaluation of risk management options”; developing risk management and risk communication recommendations for veterinary drugs for which no ADI and/or MRL has been recommended by JECFA either due to specific human health concerns or a lack of information and to consider the “concern form” used by the CCPR;
that the current definition of “hazard” should not be revised;
consider the development of a policy for extrapolation of MRLs to additional species and tissues;
continue maintaining the database on need for MRLs of developing countries;
reiterate the request to FAO and WHO to convene an expert consultation on exposure assessment;
circulate for comments proposed amendment to the terms of reference of the CCRVDF;
develop risk management recommendations for the veterinary drugs for which no ADI and/or MRL has been recommended by JECFA due to specific human health concerns;
develop a policy for the establishment of MRLs or other limits in honey: and
circulate for comments at Step 3 the proposed draft Sampling Plans for Residue Control for Aquatic Animal Products and Derived Edible Products of Aquatic Origin (Table C, Annex B of CAC/GL 71-2009).

The report from the last meeting

Next Meeting

The 20^th Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico from 7 – 11 May 2012. .

The agenda for this meeting