Grains: milled products program

2007–2008 grains: milled products program
Chemical residue monitoring results

Overview

The National Residue Survey (NRS) was originally established in 1961 to measure pesticide residues in exported meat. Today, NRS has expanded to test for residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals and environmental contaminants in 25 animal products including meat products, honey, egg, wild caught fish and aquaculture products, 20 grains, pulses and oilseeds, and five horticultural products.

NRS operates on full cost recovery, and is funded principally by levies from participating industries. The Australian Government provides funding for national and international residue commitments that provide benefits for the community, for industry and for government programmes.

The grains program

Grains have been included in NRS random residue testing activities since 1964, and are funded by levies on participating industries. The results of NRS residue tests facilitate the access of Australian grain producers to key export markets, support Australia’s status as a producer of clean food and are an important measure of overall export grain quality.

Residue monitoring is part of an Australian Government and industry strategy to minimise chemical residues and environmental contaminants in food. It also serves to identify potential problems, and indicates where follow-up action is needed. Low residue detections in food commodities are recognised as evidence of good agricultural practice.

As well as annual process reviews on the completion of each year’s sampling program (including sampling arrangements, sample numbers, chemical test selection, industry liaison), reviews of the whole grains residue testing program are undertaken regularly to ensure it continues to meet industry needs. Wheat and milled products (flour and bran) processed in Australian flour mills have been sampled extensively for residues since a review of the program in 1993. The most recent review (2003) recommended the development of the export container program, a collaboration between the Grains Council of Australia, those companies involved in grain exports and NRS. From 1 July 2007, all tradeable grains have participated in the NRS random monitoring program.

The results table shows an overall compliance rate of 99.83 per cent with Australian Standards for milled products in 2007–2008. This result demonstrates that the Australian grains industry uses pre- and post-harvest agricultural chemicals according to good agricultural practice.

The results of the NRS residue testing program assure customers of the residue and contaminant status of Australian grains.

Sampling of milled products

Samples are collected at quarterly intervals from 23 flour mills according to NRS protocols. They are then forwarded to a NRS-contracted laboratory for analysis. At the same time, sample information is sent to NRS, where it is entered into the database.

Typically, samples of whole wheat are taken randomly prior to milling, and corresponding ‘matched’ flour and bran fractions are collected during the milling process.

NRS currently tests 4-12 ‘matched’ samples of wheat, flour and bran annually from each flour mill involved in the program. The number of ‘matched’ samples is dependent on the volume of wheat milled in each mill. Sub-samples of the main samples are subjected to various analyses as shown in the table on the following page, as not all samples are subject to the same number of analyses.

Pesticide screen 2006–2008

The chemical groups (screens) listed in the following table include those that may be used on crops in Australia, as well as those that may be important in terms of international trade but are no longer used in Australian agriculture (such as organochlorines).

The chemical screens are developed in consultation with industry. If any sample shows a positive result for a chemical, further confirmatory testing is carried out. Any sample found to contravene the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (ANZFSC) is traced back to its origin by relevant state and territory authorities and appropriate advisory or legal action taken.

The table below shows the numbers of samples from the NRS milled products project that were tested for each screen, with samples including semolina and durum wheat.   

Milled products residue testing results 2007-2008

Wheat, flour and bran were tested for residues according the table above. The results are shown in the table below.

Comments on milled products residue testing results 2007–2008

One milled grain sample (wheat bran) contained a pesticide residue (fenitrothion) residue above the relevant Australian Standard. The corresponding wheat and flour samples did not contain residues in excess of the maximum residue level, and therefore, the whole grain had been treated appropriately. When milled, any residue present in the grain as a whole (however small) tends to be retained in the bran fraction, and, in this case, that retention was in excess of the bran maximum residue limit.

Laboratory performance evaluation and proficiency testing

NRS contracts analytical laboratories to perform the relevant residue analyses. Laboratories are proficiency tested in order to ensure the validity of analytical results. NRS continues to be an accredited provider of proficiency testing schemes. Accreditation ensures that the NRS proficiency testing system is recognised within the laboratory community as meeting internationally accepted standards and also having the ability to establish the technical competence of participating laboratories.

Laboratories are selected through the Australian Government tendering process on the basis of their proficiency, accreditation and value for money.

Current laboratory contracts began on 1 July 2008 and will run to 30 June 2011.

Contacts

General enquiries

Phone: +61 2 6272 3187
Fax: +61 2 6272 4023
Email the NRS
www.daff.gov.au/nrs

Postal address
National Residue Survey
GPO Box 858
Canberra ACT 2601

Manager, plant residue testing program
Phone: +61 2 6272 3436

Director, National Residue Survey
Phone: +61 2 6272 5668