Rates of Non-Compliance With EU Veterinary Drug Residue Limits Remain Minimal in Food Animals
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Only 0.11 percent of food-producing animals and animal-derived foods sampled in 2023 were non-compliant with EU veterinary drug residue limits, according to the latest data from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
An EFSA report has summarized 2023 monitoring data on the presence of residues of veterinary medicinal products in live animals and animal products in the EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, and Northern Ireland. A total of 548,194 samples were included in the dataset, of which 602 (0.11 percent) were non-compliant with EU maximum residue limits (MRLs) for veterinary chemicals in foods of animal origin. Samples were collected from the production process of food animals (i.e., excrements, body fluids and tissues, feed, drinking water, and products of the animals).
An additional 8,741 suspect samples (samples taken as a follow-up to non-compliant results or taken during the investigation of otherwise suspicious foods) were reported, of which 100 (1.14 percent) were non-compliant. Another 235,732 samples were collected within the framework of other national programs, of which 18 (0.01 percent) were non-compliant.
The 2023 report is the first to feature a revised division of samples under three plans:
- National risk-based control plan for production in the Member States (0.15 percent non-compliance)
- National randomized surveillance plan (0.29 percent non-compliance)
- National risk-based control plan for third-country imports (0.23 percent non-compliance).
The greatest rates of non-compliance were found among goat samples (0.65 percent), honey (0.6 percent), and aquaculture samples (0.48 percent).
EFSA also published an interactive dashboard for viewing the data in greater detail.
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