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EFSA has published its 2021 report on the results of the monitoring of residues of veterinary medicinal products and unauthorised substances in live animals and animal products.
A total of 621 205 samples were checked by 27 Member States, Iceland and Norway. The non-compliance rate in 2021 was 0.17%, the lowest rate observed in the last 12 years. In 2020, the non-compliance rate was 0.19%.
The presence of unauthorised substances and veterinary drug residues in food is a risk factor for public health.
Three main European texts govern the rules applicable to veterinary residues and prohibited substances:
- Regulation (EU) No 37/2010 sets maximum residue limits for veterinary medicinal products in food-producing animals and products of animal origin.
- Regulation 396/2005 sets maximum residue limits for pesticides in food and feed of plant and animal origin.
- Directive 96/23/EC lays down measures for the monitoring of certain substances and residues thereof, mainly veterinary medicinal products, in live animals and animal products.
The products tested in 2021 are: cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, horses, poultry, rabbit, farmed game, wild game, aquaculture, milk, eggs and honey.
For Group A :
- No non-compliant samples were reported for stilbenes and their derivatives (A1)
- For antithyroid agents (A2), 0.31% of samples were non-compliant for thiouracil.
- In the steroid group (A3), 0.16% of the samples were found to be non-compliant, which represents 0.12% in cattle, 0.18% in pigs, 0.11% in poultry, 1.89% in rabbits and 1.46% in sheep and goats
- In the group of resorcylic acid lactones (A4), 0.05% of the samples were non-compliant. Non-compliant samples were found in cattle (0.06%) and pigs (0.07%).
