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FSA Consumer Attitude Survey: good news available
on veterinary residues
NOAH Press Release
25 February 2003
http://www.noah.co.uk/
There's good news on veterinary
residues in food, says the National Office of Animal Health.
In a new consumer attitude survey published by
the Food
Standards Agency, which showed consumer concern about food to
be dropping, forty four percent of consumers wanted to learn more
about chemicals in their food. But, for veterinary medicines, the
information is already available.
The independent Veterinary
Residues Committee report published last October, giving residues
surveillance figures for 2001, concluded "that no UK authorised
use of a veterinary medicinal product resulted in a residue which
would give cause for concern for human health": a high level
of compliance with safe use of animal medicines is being achieved.
"These figures are excellent and show animal
medicines are being used responsibly," said Phil Sketchley,
NOAH chief executive. "Out of the 44,000 samples tested, 99.73%
had no residues of animal medicines above the Maximum
Residue Limit (MRL). The Food Standards Agency's toxicologists
advised that the very few where residues were detected were of no
concern for human health.
"The UK animal medicines industry and its
regulators has a good record on publishing information. But sometimes
success is not 'news'. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss
with the Food Standards Agency and other stakeholders, how, through
consumers' advice sources of choice - broadcast and print media
- we can help spread the word about the role of animal medicines
in the production of healthy food from healthy animals," said
Mr Sketchley.
25 February 2003
Notes for Editors
- For further information contact Phil
Sketchley or Alison
Glennon at NOAH, tel. +44 (0)20 8367 3131, or visit the NOAH
website.
- The National Office of Animal Health was formed
on 1 January 1986 to represent the UK companies which research,
develop, manufacture and market licensed animal health products.
The association has 36 corporate members
and 13 associate members. In 2001 NOAH's members accounted for
around 95% of the £359 million UK animal health market,
with additional valuable exports.
- The survey can be found on the FSA website
http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk
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