2015 veterinary drug residues trends steady

EFSA’s latest data report summarises the monitoring data from 2015, including compliance rates with EU residue limits, for a range of veterinary medicines, unauthorised substances and contaminants found in animals and animal-derived food.

Overall, 730,000 samples were reported in 2015 – in line with last year’s report on 2014 data – from the 28 EU Member States.

In 2015, the level of non-compliance in targeted samples (i.e. samples taken to detect illegal use or check non-compliance with the maximum levels) stayed steady – at 0.34%, comparable to 0.25%-0.37% over the previous eight years.

The non-compliance rates for resorcylic acid lactones (hormonally active compounds produced by fungi or man-made) and contaminants such as metals and mycotoxins (toxins produced by fungi) were higher than for other groups of substances, but slightly down on the previous report.

The summary data reported suggest high rates of compliance overall and demonstrate the strengths of the EU monitoring system and its contribution to consumer protection and animal welfare.

• Report for 2015 on the results from the monitoring of veterinary medicinal product residues and other substances in live animals and animal products