The National Residue Survey: 2008-2009 in brief
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PDF [31kb] Total expenses for the National Residue Survey (NRS) in 2008–2009 were $11.950 million. The Australian Government provided $0.473 million for community service obligation activities, while participating industries provided $11.477 million through levies and contributions for the management and operation of NRS programs.
NRS carried out random residue monitoring programs for 48 animal and plant products as summarised below The largest sample numbers were collected from cattle, sheep, pigs and wheat (grain). All animal and plant residue monitoring plans were reviewed and accepted through close consultation with the relevant industries and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service.
On behalf of the cattle industry, NRS engaged AUSMEAT Ltd (a subsidiary of Meat & Livestock Australia) in a three-year contract to conduct cattle property residue management audits throughout Australia. The contract, with a value of $7 million, commenced on 1 January 2009, and will allow for up to 4000 property audits per annum for three years in the first instance. These audits will be based on the elements of the Meat & Livestock Australia’s largest livestock production assurance quality assurance scheme.
The coordination of sampling (588 samples) and results (18,044 analyses) of six targeted monitoring projects were undertaken on behalf of the beef and sheep industries. (see pages 96-98 of the Annual Report).
NRS has commenced a project to redevelop the NRS database and its associated information management system. This will bring the ageing NRS system into line with current technology, align it with departmental standards and facilitate implementation of web-based information management from sampling locations throughout Australia.
Community service obligation funding supported the work of three NRS officers who each undertook the responsibility of acting as Australian delegation leader to three Codex committees: the Codex Committee on Pesticides Residues, the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food and the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling. NRS officers contributed to the setting and review of international residue standards concerning the selection of analytical methods and the evaluation and review of international maximum residue limits for pesticides and veterinary chemicals.
NRS continues to confirm the validity of laboratory analyses through laboratory proficiency testing of contracted laboratories.
Proficiency testing services provided by NRS to the dairy industry’s Australian Milk Residue Analysis (AMRA) survey continued this year, and NRS conducted a melamine in milk proficiency testing program. NRS is an accredited provider of proficiency testing schemes.
Effective from 1 July 2009, NRS was transferred into the Food Division, Biosecurity Services Group of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Summary of results for all random monitoring projects
NRS conducted random residue monitoring projects for 22 animal products and 26 plant products. The table below summarises the results for 2008-2009.
|
Commodity |
Number of samples tested |
Number of analyses 3 |
Compliance with relevant Australian Standards (%) |
|
Animal Products |
|
|
|
|
Meat |
15,426 |
195,930 |
99.86 |
|
Egg |
115 |
1,120 |
98.26 |
|
Honey |
213 |
2,095 |
100.00 |
|
Fish (wildcaught) |
213 |
991 |
100.00 |
|
Aquaculture |
15 |
112 |
100.00 |
|
Total animal products |
15,982 |
200,248 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Plant Products |
|
|
|
|
Grains |
4,162 |
389,547 |
99.20 |
|
Horticulture |
998 |
37,607 |
100.00 |
|
Total plant products |
5,160 |
427,154 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total all products |
21,142 |
627,402 |
|
3 Most samples are analysed for more than one chemical. This is the total number of chemical–commodity combinations that were specifically tested in each product type.
Detailed comments and results tables for these commodities are shown in the NRS Annual Report: meat on pages 35-74 (Animal parts 1&2); egg on pages 75-78 (animal part 2); honey on pages 79-82 (Animal part 2); aquaculture on pages 83-88 (Animal part 2); wildcaught fish on pages 89-95 (Animal Part 2); grains on pages 110-189 (Plants parts 1 & 2) and horticulture on pages 190-201 (Plants part 2). For explanation of terms, see defintitions, abbreviations and acronyms on pages 274-277.