Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
case in 2002. Any confirmed finding of a prohibited or
unauthorised substance is deemed to be not in compli-
ance with community legislation and should not be
placed on the market. Thus, any sample with a confirmed
concentration in excess of the detection limit (again, more
properly CCα) is regarded as being non-compliant.
(1998) extends the criteria for sampling to include
secondary sexual characteristics, behavioural changes,
the level of development of the animals and their confor-
mation. For Group B substances, surveillance should be
aimed primarily at controlling compliance with the
MRLs for veterinary drugs and pesticides and monitor-
ing the concentration of environmental contamination.
The National Residue Control Plan in EU
member states
Compound groups
Council Directive 96/23/EC (1996) describes in detail
the sampling that EU member states must carry out to
satisfy their obligations. The compound groups that
must currently be covered are shown in Table 13.1.
The regulation emphasises that official sampling must
be unforeseen and effected at no fixed time or day of the
week. For Group A substances, surveillance should be
aimed at detecting the illegal administration of prohib-
ited substances. To this effect, sampling should be tar-
geted on the basis of criteria including sex, age, species,
fattening system, background information and evidence
or history of abuse. Commission Decision 98/179/EC
Sampling levels for each species
Annex IV of Council Directive 96/23/EC (1996) sets out
the minimum sampling frequency for each species.
In bovines
, the number of animals sampled must at
least equal to 0.4% of bovine animals slaughtered the
previous year. Of these, 0.25% must be tested for Group
A substances (with a minimum of 5% of the total being
tested for each sub-group), half of the samples being col-
lected from live animals on farm and half being collected
at the slaughterhouse. The remainder of the animals
sampled (0.15%) shall be tested for Group B substances,
with at least the following distribution: 30% for Group
B1 substances, 30% for Group B2 substances and 10% for
Group B3 substances. The balance may be allocated at
the discretion of the member state.
In pigs
, the number of animals sampled must at least
equal 0.05% of porcine animals slaughtered the previous
year. For Group A substances (0.03% of animals), at least
1 farm per 100 000 pigs slaughtered the previous year
must be visited. Each sub-group in Group A must be
checked with at least 5% of the total number of samples.
The balance may be allocated at the discretion of the
member state. For Group B substances (0.03% of ani-
mals), the same breakdown as for cattle is used.
In sheep and goats
, the number of animals sampled
must at least equal 0.05% of sheep and goats over 3
months of age slaughtered the previous year. For Group
A substances, at least 0.01% of animals slaughtered must
be sampled. Each sub-group in Group A must be checked
with at least 5% of the total number of samples. The bal-
ance may be allocated at the discretion of the member
state. For Group B substances (0.04% of animals), the
same breakdown as for cattle is used.
In horses
, the number of samples taken is at the discre-
tion of the member state and is to be in relation to the
problems identified.
In broiler chickens
,
spent hens
,
turkeys and other
poultry
, at least one sample must be taken, for each cat-
egory, per 200 tonnes (dead weight) of production, with
a minimum number of 100 samples for each group if
production of that category of poultry exceeds 5000
tonnes. Half of the samples must be tested for Group A
substances (20% of those being collected at farm level).
Each sub-group in Group A must be checked with at
least 5% of the total number of samples. The balance may
Table 13.1
Compounds to be included in an EU National
Residue Control Plan
Group A: Substances having an anabolic effect and unauthorised
substances
Group A1 Stilbenes, stilbene derivatives and their salts and
esters
Group A2 Antithyroid agents
Group A3 Steroids
Group A4 Resorcylic acid lactones (RALs), including zeranol
Group A5 ß-Agonists
Group A6 Compounds in table 2 of Regulation No. 37/2010
(2010)
Group B: Veterinary drugs and contaminants
Group B1
Antibacterial substances
Group B2
Other veterinary drugs
Anthelmintics
Anticoccidials
Carbamates and pyrethroids
Sedatives
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Other pharmacologically active substances
Group B3
Other substances and environmental
contaminants
Organochlorine compounds (OCs) including PCBs
Organophosphorus compounds (OPs)
Chemical elements
Mycotoxins
Dyes
Others
