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Dept of Health

Answer

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what checks are made for the presence of nitrofurans and chloramphenicol in chicken imported into the United Kingdom (a) directly from non-EU countries and (b) from a third country via another EU member state. [64117] Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply. Chloramphenicol and nitrofurans are veterinary medicines no longer permitted in the European Union for use in food producing animals and therefore residues of these chemicals should not be present in food. Imports of products of animal origin for human consumption such as poultry meat to the United Kingdom from third countries are subject to harmonised EU import controls and must enter the EU through designated border inspection posts (BIP). Where the official veterinary surgeons at the BIPs have reason to suspect that poultry meat being imported to the UK direct from a third country may be contaminated with chloramphenicol or nitrofurans, they may take samples of the product for testing. Imports of poultry meat from third countries to other EU member states must enter the EU through designated BIP where they may be subject to checks for chloramphenicol and nitrofurans. Once a food product is in free circulation within the EU it is not subject to routine checks at points of entry to the UK under EU single market requirements. In response to concerns that poultry meat from South East Asia may be contaminated by illegal residues of veterinary medicines, the Food Standards Agency initiated a retail survey. As a consequence of the publication of these results and others from the Netherlands, an EU Commission Decision has recently required sampling and testing of poultry meat coming from Thailand. This requirement to sample and test applies to all EU member states. The veterinary medicines directorate also undertakes testing of imported poultry meat as part of its non-statutory surveillance programme. In 2001, 50 samples of raw chicken were tested for the presence of chloramphenicol. No residues above the reporting limit were detected.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

389 c1157-8W;389 c1155-6W; 64117

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Contamination Chemicals EU countries Drugs Import controls Imports Poultry Meat Meat products Veterinary medicine South East Asia

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk