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/Veterinary drug residues

HomepageVeterinary drug residues
Working Group on Veterinary Drug Residues

The working group was founded in 1985 and consists of active and corresponding members from authorities and official food monitoring organisations, independent private laboratories, the food industry and universities.

The active members meet twice a year in person or virtually for working group meetings. Active and corresponding members can view and download the minutes of the working group meetings on the internal working group pages (at www.gdch.de --> log in to MyGDCh with your membership number and password).

The main tasks of the working group include:

  • Evaluation, further development and validation of analytical methods for the detection of pharmacologically active substances in animals, animal products and foodstuffs, paying particular attention to new analytical techniques
  • Development of opinions on legally relevant and other processes relating to residues of veterinary medicinal products and other pharmacologically active substances on behalf of the Food Chemistry Society.

The results of the work are primarily used in official testing tasks, in self-monitoring systems in food production and in the work of expert laboratories.

Management of the working group

Ombudsman

Dr Christian Hinkel
Bavarian State Office for Health
and Food Safety (LGL)
Phone: 09131 68082191
Email: christian.hinkel@lgl.bayern.de

Deputy Representative

Dr Dierk Clos
Phone: 0261 9149-362
Email: dierk.clos@lua.rlp.de

Term of office: 2024 - 2026

Evaluation and further development of methods
In recent years, numerous methods for the detection of natural and synthetic hormones, antibiotically active substances (including sulphonamides, tetracyclines, quinolones) and anthelmintics have been developed. With the co-operation of the working group, this methodological work has found its way into official testing procedures. The working group regularly reviews new, available analytical methods for the detection of pharmacologically active substances whose methodological characteristics make it appear practicable to use them in testing laboratories in compliance with EU validation regulations. As a rule, tests for selectivity, sensitivity, precision and recovery are initially carried out in at least three laboratories from the working group using grown or spiked samples. The results are presented to the working group and discussed in detail. If the pre-validation is successful, the corresponding method is then tested in a second step with a larger number of participants from the circle of active and corresponding members. The methods currently being worked on include the determination of:
  • Coccidiostats
    In comparative studies of different laboratories, experiences in the analysis of different matrices and modifications of the generally recognised method for the determination of coccidiostats with LC-MS-MS are evaluated.
  • ß-Lactam antibiotics
    The active substances from the group of ß-lactam antibiotics can be determined very sensitively with the LC-MS-MS methodology. A method that was extensively tested as part of a dissertation (link) is being tested with spiked samples with regard to its robustness for use in routine laboratories and its suitability for checking the specified maximum levels in food.
  • Aminoglycosides
    The coupling of HPLC with a mass-selective detector (tandem MS) appears to be well suited for the determination of aminoglycosides in biological matrices. The comparative study of published analytical methods in several laboratories is currently being carried out.
  • Antibiotics in honey
    For the determination of antibiotics in honey using LC-MS-MS, various analytical methods were compared with regard to sample preparation. The following working hypotheses were formulated from the results of the internal comparative laboratory study "Veterinary drugs in honey":
    1.) During the usual storage of honey at room temperature, anhydroerythromycin is formed from erythromycin by water splitting.
    2.) A processing method that does not contain an acid hydrolysis step leads to underdetection of sulfonamides and to false negative results for dapsone.
    3.) Macrolides are unstable in acidic solution.
    4.) An acidic environment promotes the epimerisation of tetracyclines.
    5.) Influences of the pH value of the extraction agent used on the results of trimethoprim, nitroimidazoles, tylosin A, tylosin B, and chloramphenicol are not discernible.
.
Screening test systems

In addition to testing physico-chemical measurement methods such as LC-MS, the working group has set itself the goal of following the new developments in rapid test systems.

After an extensive comparison of the commercially available ELISA test kits, the Premitest was compared as a rapid antibiotic test in organ material in several laboratories with the results of the three-plate inhibitor test and chemical analysis methods.

Validation of methods

The aim of validating test methods is to ensure the scientifically substantiated and legally secure comparability of analysis results. Validation is a component of quality assurance systems in accordance with DIN EN ISO / IEC 17025.

The analysis results from different laboratories within the EU and beyond must be comparably accurate, correct and precise. For test methods validated before 10 June 2021 within the framework of official residue controls, Decision 2002/657/EC still applies in part until 10 June 2026 (literature 1). Since 10 June 2021, the requirements of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/808 must be observed for new validations or revalidations (literature 4).

A sub-working group of the working group has developed a procedure proposal for the practical implementation of validation in routine laboratories in accordance with the above-mentioned EU decision. This was published after discussion in the working group (literature 2). In addition, a comparative analysis of various validation procedures was carried out.

The results of these discussions have been incorporated into the validation procedure recommended by the BVL using the "InterVal" software from quo data GmbH.
Position papers and statements
  • Statement Chloramphenicol of the Working Group on Veterinary Drug Residues (2015) (pdf)
Links and literature

Links

BVL / BFR / EU

https://www.bvl.bund.de/DE/Arbeitsbereiche/01_Lebensmittel/01_Aufgaben/
02_AmtlicheLebensmittelueberwachung/05_NRKP/lm_nrkp_node.html

https://www.bfr.bund.de/de/lebensmittel-391.html

https://food.ec.europa.eu/safety/chemical-safety/residues-veterinary-medicinal-products_en

Literature

1) Commission Decision of 12 August 2002. August 2002 implementing Council Directive 96/23/EC concerning the performance of analytical methods and interpretation of results
(2002/657/EC)
2) Validation of methods for the testing of pharmacologically active substances in the routine laboratory
Food Chemistry 57, 99 -102 (2003)
3) Discussion on method validation of methods for testing for pharmacologically active substances
Food Chemistry 58, 56-57 (2004)
4) COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/808 of 22 March 2021 on performance criteria for analytical methods
(2002/657/EC)
.
4) COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2021/808 of 22 March 2021 on performance criteria for methods of analysis for residues of pharmacologically active substances in food-producing animals and on the interpretation of results and methods to be used for sampling and repealing Decisions 2002/657/EC and 98/179/EC
5) Targeted screening of veterinary medicinal products, Food Chemistry 75, 56 - 57 (2021)


Downloads

Annual report 2024

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Annual report 2022

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Annual report 2018

Annual report 2017

Annual report 2016

Annual report 2015

Annual report 2014

Annual report 2013

Annual report 2012

Annual report 2010

Miscellaneous

Statement chloramphenicol (pdf)

Poster LM Day 2014 (pdf)

Lab tests on honey (pdf)

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