Navigation und Service

10 years National Residue Monitoring Plan

17/1999, 17.12.1999

Results of official residue studies 1998 published on the Internet

Since 1989 there has been a programme for monitoring foods of animal origin for residues of undesirable substances conducted jointly by the Länder together with the Federal Institute for Health Protection of Consumers and Veterinary Medicine, BgVV, as the co-ordinating body. This programme, in which samples are taken and examined at various production stages from the sheds over the abattoir up to the first stage of processing, is conducted throughout the European Union according to uniform standards. Every year BgVV and the authorities of the Länder draw up a new Residue Monitoring Plan. For each Federal Land it contains concrete data about the number of animals or products of animal origin and substances to be examined, the methods to be used and about sampling.

In 1998 animals and products of animal origin were examined for 320 substances. The findings did not reveal any signs of a risk to the consumer from residues in veterinary medicinal products, plant protection products or other undesirable substances. Compared to earlier years fewer banned substances were detected in food-producing animals. Instances of misuse were discovered for instance for clenbuterol and estradiol. In the case of chloramphenicol, which may no longer be used in food-producing animals since 1994, there was even a slight increase in the number of samples with residues compared to the previous year.

In the case of authorised medicinal products, the maximum values were exceeded in around 0.44% of the samples examined. This mainly concerned pigs. But turkeys also supplied positive results for sulphonamides and antibiotics (tetracyclines).

Furthermore, in the studies the Land authorities still found unusually high concentrations of copper in calf liver. As a rule, the copper content in calves, which are reared under natural conditions (suckled by their mothers), are below 100 mg per kilogram liver. Values of more than 200 mg copper per kg liver were found in 1998 in 38% of samples. The trend is for a decrease in the load. In 1995 a value of more than 200 mg was still measured in 50% of the samples.

In humans a very high intake of copper can lead to stomach and intestinal disorders. In the case of adults health impairments of this kind are not, however, to be expected from the occasional consumption of calf liver or calf liver products.

The situation must be viewed differently in the case of small children. In man copper content is regulated by means of choleresis. However, this function only develops in the course of the first years of a child's life. Therefore, BgVV advises on the grounds of preventive consumer protection that no calf's liver should be used in the preparation of food for infants. The manufacturers of baby and infant formula have already made this commitment voluntarily.

The National Residue Monitoring Plan also involves detecting the contamination of foods of animal origin with other undesirable substances from the environment, so-called contaminants. The results show that overall this contamination is decreasing. High contamination of inner organs like liver and kidneys must be expected in the case of older animals. For that reason the liver and kidneys of pigs used for breeding purposes and of horses may no longer be used in food production. The same applies to the kidneys of cattle aged 24 months and older.

Experience from 10 years of Residue Monitoring Plans shows that ongoing monitoring is the only way of improving the residue situation in foods of animal origin.

The results of the National Residue Monitoring Plan 1998 are available on the Internet on http://www.bgvv/tierarzneimittel/rkp/index.htm.

Up