Lack of maximum residue limits for cephalosporins
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Aust Vet J Vol 79, No 9, September 2001 590 News T he recent meeting of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Council (ANZFSC), which consists primarily (but not entirely) of Health ministers, deferred the proposed Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) to apply in the Food Standards Code to the antibiotic ceftiofur in cattle tissues. They also deferred levels for cefuroxine and cephalonium, which are registered mastitis treatments. The ceftiofur product, (Excenel)(r), was first registered in 1996 by the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (NRA), which set MRLs in their MRL Standard for cattle offal, fat, meat and milk. In order for those MRLs to apply to meat and other products sold at retail in Australia, they must be adopted into the Food Standards Code published by the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA). ANZFA requires approval by the Food Standards Council before it adopts MRLs. The Ministers on the Council decided not to approve the MRLs for ceftiofur at that meeting. As a result residues continue not to be permitted in any animal tissues or milk sold in Australia. This means supply of meat, milk or offal from treated cattle in Australia could potentially breach State and Territory Food Acts, because no MRL has been adopted. Ceftiofur is registered in 30 countries, at Step 7 in the Codex review process and both the EU and the USA have internal limits. An export slaughter interval is in place for ceftiofur. While this situation has apparently existed for the past four or five years, it is essential that prescribing veterinary surgeons and producers understand the residue risk involved with use of these products and take appropriate steps to ensure “contaminated” produce does not enter the Australian marketplace. A Pharmacia spokesman has suggested that the residue risk from ceftiofur is very low because of the rapid clearance of the antibiotic from treated animals, especially if the RTU product is used with its longer withholding period. Even so, veterinary surgeons should be cautious about treatment of large numbers of animals close to slaughter time. The registrations of these products are intended to allow treatment of individual animals only. It may be that the MRLs will soon be finalised, in which case advice to that effect will be provided. Dr Lee Cook Veterinarian (Chemical Control) NSW Agriculture ORANGE NSW 2800 Lack of maximum residue limits for cephalosporins A recent decision by State Health Ministers means that no Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) are in place for the large animal antibiotic ceftiofur (Excenel)(r) in foods. Dr Lee Cook of the NSW Department of Agriculture advises practitioners to take care in the use of this product to ensure that food standards and trade are not jeopardised. A uthorities in the UK are gravely concerned about a number of recent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in districts where it had seemingly been under control for up to three months. Some of the new cases are also located beyond the previous official buffer-zone boundary lines that had been intended to completely isolate the problem as part of the eradication plan. And there is growing talk that the situation could be aggravated by the coming change of seasons – to cooler conditions better suited to the survival and spread of the FMD virus. As if to underline the seriousness of the latest developments, the Army has been re- called to help deal with the situation. At the time of writing (September 3) the total number of confirmed FMD premises in the UK had reached 1994, including a total of 16 in the past eight days in Northumberland. And at least two of those new cases occurred outside the 400 sq mile biosecurity zone in the north of England. The Northumberland Divisional Veterinary Manager, Dr Arthur Griffiths, said: “This is extremely disappointing news and will mean a considerable extension of the designated infected zone and the biosecurity restrictions that apply within the zone. We are very concerned about these developments and must stress how important it is for people to strictly follow the biosecurity arrangements. This is a major setback and reinforces the need for draconian measures to stop the spread of this disease”. Senior government officials admitted the new outbreaks were “very worrying”. They said Northumberland was now the nation’s number one priority in terms of stopping the FMD outbreak. A spokesman for the National Farmers’ Union said: “This is of massive concern – the disease has apparently breached the boundaries set by the government and that is the worst possible news for the farmers of Northumberland.” Some media reports in the UK indicate a suspicion that the latest outbreaks may have arisen through the activities of grouse shooters who had allegedly breached biosecurity guidelines. A strong critic of the UK’s mass slaughter program, Dr Keith Sumption, of Edinburgh University, said the new outbreaks indicated it may be very difficult to eradicate FMD this year. “The virus doesn’t like low humidity and it survives better in lower temperatures - under winter conditions it can spread further and persist longer. This is why in Europe it has been called a winter disease for more than a century”. New FMD outbreaks cause concern in UK UQ: vote in a vet T wo distinguished Members of the AVA have nominated a third as a candidate for the coming University of Queensland Senate election in an effort to get a veterinary voice at the highest level of the university administration. The candidate is Dr Lex Carroll, a semi-retired veterinary consultant and a former CVO for Victoria. He is currently the Chair of Queensland Animal Health and is the Queensland representative on Animal Health Australia. His background includes extensive periods in large animal fields, both equine and cattle, and until last year he held extensive cattle grazing interests in Queensland. He now lives on the Sunshine Coast. He has been nominated by Prof Peter Doherty, Australia’s most recent Nobel laureate, and Dr Bryan Woolcock, a Life Fellow of the AVA. Both nominees are urging all eligible voters (UQ graduates and academic staff ) to participate in the election - to be held on November 8 - to help gain the veterinary profession a direct voice on the 33-member University Senate. They stress this is particularly necessary in the current situation, with the UQ veterinary school facing serious cutbacks.
Transcript of Lack of maximum residue limits for cephalosporins
Aust Vet J Vol 79, No 9, September 2001590
News
The recent meeting of the AustraliaNew Zealand Food StandardsCouncil (ANZFSC), which
consists primarily (but not entirely) ofHealth ministers, deferred the proposedMaximum Residue Limit (MRL) to applyin the Food Standards Code to theantibiotic ceftiofur in cattle tissues. Theyalso deferred levels for cefuroxine andcephalonium, which are registered mastitistreatments.The ceftiofur product, (Excenel)(r), wasfirst registered in 1996 by the NationalRegistration Authority for Agricultural andVeterinary Chemicals (NRA), which setMRLs in their MRL Standard for cattleoffal, fat, meat and milk. In order for thoseMRLs to apply to meat and other productssold at retail in Australia, they must beadopted into the Food Standards Codepublished by the Australia New ZealandFood Authority (ANZFA). ANZFArequires approval by the Food StandardsCouncil before it adopts MRLs.The Ministers on the Council decided not
to approve the MRLs for ceftiofur at thatmeeting. As a result residues continue notto be permitted in any animal tissues ormilk sold in Australia. This means supplyof meat, milk or offal from treated cattle inAustralia could potentially breach Stateand Territory Food Acts, because no MRLhas been adopted.Ceftiofur is registered in 30 countries, atStep 7 in the Codex review process andboth the EU and the USA have internallimits. An export slaughter interval is inplace for ceftiofur.While this situation has apparently existed
for the past four or five years, it is essentialthat prescribing veterinary surgeons andproducers understand the residue riskinvolved with use of these products andtake appropriate steps to ensure“contaminated” produce does not enter theAustralian marketplace. A Pharmaciaspokesman has suggested that the residuerisk from ceftiofur is very low because ofthe rapid clearance of the antibiotic fromtreated animals, especially if the RTUproduct is used with its longer withholdingperiod. Even so, veterinary surgeons should becautious about treatment of large numbersof animals close to slaughter time. Theregistrations of these products are intendedto allow treatment of individual animalsonly. It may be that the MRLs will soon befinalised, in which case advice to that effectwill be provided.
Dr Lee CookVeterinarian (Chemical Control)
NSW Agriculture ORANGE NSW 2800
Lack of maximum residue limits for cephalosporinsA recent decision by State HealthMinisters means that no MaximumResidue Limits (MRLs) are in placefor the large animal antibioticceftiofur (Excenel)(r) in foods. Dr LeeCook of the NSW Department ofAgriculture advises practitioners totake care in the use of this product toensure that food standards and tradeare not jeopardised.
Authorities in the UK are gravelyconcerned about a number of recentoutbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease
(FMD) in districts where it had seeminglybeen under control for up to three months.Some of the new cases are also locatedbeyond the previous official buffer-zoneboundary lines that had been intended tocompletely isolate the problem as part of theeradication plan.And there is growing talk that the situationcould be aggravated by the coming change ofseasons – to cooler conditions better suited tothe survival and spread of the FMD virus.As if to underline the seriousness of thelatest developments, the Army has been re-called to help deal with the situation.At the time of writing (September 3) thetotal number of confirmed FMD premisesin the UK had reached 1994, including atotal of 16 in the past eight days inNorthumberland. And at least two of thosenew cases occurred outside the 400 sq milebiosecurity zone in the north of England.The Northumberland Divisional VeterinaryManager, Dr Arthur Griffiths, said: “This isextremely disappointing news and willmean a considerable extension of thedesignated infected zone and the biosecurityrestrictions that apply within the zone. Weare very concerned about these
developments and must stress howimportant it is for people to strictly followthe biosecurity arrangements. This is amajor setback and reinforces the need fordraconian measures to stop the spread ofthis disease”. Senior government officialsadmitted the new outbreaks were “veryworrying”. They said Northumberland wasnow the nation’s number one priority interms of stopping the FMD outbreak.A spokesman for the National Farmers’Union said: “This is of massive concern –the disease has apparently breached theboundaries set by the government and thatis the worst possible news for the farmers ofNorthumberland.”Some media reports in the UK indicate asuspicion that the latest outbreaks may havearisen through the activities of grouseshooters who had allegedly breachedbiosecurity guidelines. A strong critic of the UK’s mass slaughterprogram, Dr Keith Sumption, of EdinburghUniversity, said the new outbreaks indicatedit may be very difficult to eradicate FMDthis year. “The virus doesn’t like lowhumidity and it survives better in lowertemperatures - under winter conditions itcan spread further and persist longer. This iswhy in Europe it has been called a winterdisease for more than a century”.
New FMD outbreaks cause concern in UK UQ: vote in a vet
Two distinguished Members ofthe AVA have nominated athird as a candidate for the
coming University of QueenslandSenate election in an effort to get aveterinary voice at the highest level ofthe university administration.The candidate is Dr Lex Carroll, asemi-retired veterinary consultant anda former CVO for Victoria. He iscurrently the Chair of QueenslandAnimal Health and is the Queenslandrepresentative on Animal HealthAustralia. His background includesextensive periods in large animalfields, both equine and cattle, anduntil last year he held extensive cattlegrazing interests in Queensland. Henow lives on the Sunshine Coast.He has been nominated by Prof PeterDoherty, Australia’s most recentNobel laureate, and Dr BryanWoolcock, a Life Fellow of the AVA.Both nominees are urging all eligiblevoters (UQ graduates and academicstaff ) to participate in the election - tobe held on November 8 - to help gainthe veterinary profession a direct voiceon the 33-member University Senate.They stress this is particularlynecessary in the current situation,with the UQ veterinary school facingserious cutbacks.
