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Food Residues Surveillance Programme

May 2008

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) conducts a Food Residues Surveillance Programme (FRSP) annually to assess the effectiveness of current controls of chemical residues on imported and locally-produced foods.

As far as possible, the FRSP focuses on the levels of residues in foods ‘as produced’ (eg, immediately after harvest). This is different from the Total Diet Survey, which assesses the public’s exposure to a range of residues and elements (eg, iodine) through analysing foods ‘as consumed’.

Learn more about the Total Diet Survey

Knowing the levels of residues in foods ‘as produced’ allows NZFSA to take appropriate action where and when it is required. For example, if unexpected residues are found, these can lead to new or amended controls on foods or the use of agricultural compounds, increased monitoring, or additional consumer information being introduced.

The FRSP focuses on between four and eight different food/residue combinations each year. NZFSA prioritises the list of food/residue combinations every year against the following criteria:

• Available information about use and residues of agricultural compounds:

• Previous domestic surveys, known data gaps, stakeholder interest

• Overseas surveys, likelihood of similar New Zealand practices and whether a food is ever imported

• Dietary intake-related factors:

• Chronic and acute toxicity of the chemicals

• Residue levels in specific foods

• Consumption of those foods by the general population and specific sub-groups

• Availability of cost-effective laboratory analyses for the residues of interest

• Integrity in the food supply chain

Current results

July 2009 results spreadsheet, season 1 (December 2008) [Excel 189 KB] [PDF 33.2 KB]

Farmed Seafood Results, September 2008

July 2008 results spreadsheet, season 2 (February 2008) [PDF 198K] [Excel 407]

May 2008 results spreadsheet, season 1 (December 2007) [PDF 146K] [Excel 497]

June 2007

Results spreadsheets

June 2006

New Zealand Food Residue Surveillance Programme Consolidated results report for 2005/06 for plant-based foods [PDF 579K ]

Results spreadsheets

June 2005

Food residues surveillance 'pleasing situation'

Results Spreadsheets

June 2004

Latest monitoring programme results reaffirm low residue levels in New Zealand food 8 June 2004

Results Spreadsheet

Foods that have been surveyed so far

FRSP - record of foods sampled