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Food Focus August 2007

National Chemical Residue Programme 2005/2006

NZFSA operates a risk-based National Chemical Residue Programme that randomly samples animal products at the point of harvest. Last August Food Focus published the levels found in certain products. Now it’s time for another look

The National Chemical Residue Programme (NRP) includes all classes and species of cattle, sheep, deer, pigs, goats, horses, wild animals, broilers, ostrich and emu, honey and farmed salmon. The Dairy National Chemical Contaminants Programme (NCCP) monitors raw milk and colustrum at the farm prior to consolidation and dilution, through to transportation and processing.

Both programmes analyse a wide range of contaminants and agricultural compounds, including antibacterial and antibiotic substances, banned or restricted substances, synthetic pyrethroids and carbamates, organochlorines and organophosphates, vertebrate poisons, and heavy metals.

Regulatory action is required to be taken on any products that exceed the maximum permissible levels (MPLs) although the actions may be quite different in different cases. MPLs are action limits set under the Animal Products Act and are used as triggers to ensure that animal products meet market access requirements (including the New Zealand market).

Sampling years for all programmes are now aligned for the same report periods: 1 July 2005 – June 30, 2006.

Overall, 10 samples exceeded the MPL, these were:

• 2 pigs – for Carbadox

• 1 horse – for Moxidectin

• 1 horse – for Doramectin

• 1 horse – for Flubendazole

• 1 pig and 1 lamb – for Levamisole

• 1 pig – for Flumethrin

• 1 broiler – for Nicarbazin

• 1 bobby calf – for Sulphonamides.

Some fish samples were tested for mercury, as shown in Table 2. The results have been added to the NZFSA fish advisory for pregnant women – the highest exposure risk group. This advisory outlines different types of seafood, and the recommended intake per week, for pregnant women who wish to derive the benefits of seafood while limiting their exposure to methylmercury. The advisory can be found on NZFSA’s website http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/chemicals-nutrients-additives-and-toxins/mercury-in-seafood/.

NZFSA surveys various aquatic species each year. The results will be added to the existing data set and used to update the NZFSA advisory.

Table 1: Monitoring programme results for 2005–2006

1 The overall number of sample-compound combinations is not precise as some procedures can test for many different compounds on the one sample. Sometimes these compounds are from one compound class, eg: synthetic pyrethroids, or from one activity class, eg: antibiotics. More compounds of an activity class can be detected than are specified for reporting.

2 Two samples were in horse liver, a tissue not normally eaten, and a default MPL was set (muscle from these horses would have conformed if tested). Each of the 9 nonconforming samples had only one residue detected.

Table 2: Sampling of fish for mercury levels 2005–2006