Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods
The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods will be meeting next week in San José Costa Rica for its 22nd Session.
Understanding Codex
Food-producing animals may be treated with veterinary medicines to prevent or cure disease. The medicine may leave residues in the food from such treated animals. Food can also contain residues of pesticides and contaminants to which animals have been exposed. In all cases, the levels of residues in food should not harm the consumer.
The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) determines priorities for the consideration of residues of veterinary drugs in foods and recommends Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for veterinary drugs.
Some definitions
A Codex Maximum Limit for Residues of Veterinary Drugs (MRL) is the maximum concentration or residue that results from the use of a veterinary drug (expressed in mg/kg or g/kg on a fresh weight basis) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted or recognised as acceptable in or on a food.
An MRL is based on the type and amount of residue considered to be without any toxicological hazard from human health as expressed by the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)*, or on the basis of a temporary ADI that utilises an additional safety factor. An MRL also considers public health risks as well as food technology issues.
*Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): an estimate by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the amount of a veterinary drug, expressed on a body weight basis, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.
When establishing a MRL, residues that occur in food of plant origin and/or the environment are also considered. Furthermore, a MRL may be reduced to be consistent with good practices in the use of veterinary drugs to the extent that practical and analytical methods are available.
Existing Codex Standards
Standards relating to residues of veterinary drugs in foods include standards on:
- Control of the Use of Veterinary Drugs
- Glossary of Terms and Definitions (Veterinary Drugs Residues in Foods)
- Guidelines for the Establishment of a Regulatory Program for Control of
- Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods
- Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs in Food
For a full list of standards approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, click here.
Leave a comment
At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.
Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations
contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.
Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.
Current Codex Alimentarius Commission
Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods
The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods will be meeting next week in San José Costa Rica for its 22nd Session.
Understanding Codex
Food-producing animals may be treated with veterinary medicines to prevent or cure disease. The medicine may leave residues in the food from such treated animals. Food can also contain residues of pesticides and contaminants to which animals have been exposed. In all cases, the levels of residues in food should not harm the consumer.
The Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) determines priorities for the consideration of residues of veterinary drugs in foods and recommends Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for veterinary drugs.
Some definitions
A Codex Maximum Limit for Residues of Veterinary Drugs (MRL) is the maximum concentration or residue that results from the use of a veterinary drug (expressed in mg/kg or g/kg on a fresh weight basis) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted or recognised as acceptable in or on a food.
An MRL is based on the type and amount of residue considered to be without any toxicological hazard from human health as expressed by the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)*, or on the basis of a temporary ADI that utilises an additional safety factor. An MRL also considers public health risks as well as food technology issues.
*Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): an estimate by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the amount of a veterinary drug, expressed on a body weight basis, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.
When establishing a MRL, residues that occur in food of plant origin and/or the environment are also considered. Furthermore, a MRL may be reduced to be consistent with good practices in the use of veterinary drugs to the extent that practical and analytical methods are available.
Existing Codex Standards
Standards relating to residues of veterinary drugs in foods include standards on:
- Control of the Use of Veterinary Drugs
- Glossary of Terms and Definitions (Veterinary Drugs Residues in Foods)
- Guidelines for the Establishment of a Regulatory Program for Control of
- Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods
- Maximum Residue Limits for Veterinary Drugs in Food
For a full list of standards approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, click here.
Codex and Observer
around the world since ancient times.
We might not always know where it comes from,
but we expect it to be available, safe and of good quality.