Animal
Health and Welfare Strategy indicators:
core indicator 5.3
Veterinary medicine residues
Indicators are available in downloadable Adobe Acrobat 
format on request - For queries or information on this indicator contact Defra’s animal health and welfare statistics on +44 (0) 1904 456582 or email ahw.stats@defra.gsi.gov.uk
| Vision: Consumers value the confidence they have in food produced safely from healthy animals that are well cared for. Consumers and retailers accept that higher standards of animal health and welfare are not cost free. |
Core indicator 5.3a: Veterinary Medicine Residues
- Animal Health and Welfare Strategy – indicator fact sheet
- Animal Health and Welfare Strategy – indicator data sheet
Core indicator 5.3b: Veterinary Medicine antimicrobial usage
- Animal Health and Welfare Strategy – indicator fact sheet
- Animal Health and Welfare Strategy – indicator data shee
Core indicator 5.3a: Veterinary medicine residues - indicator fact sheet
| Indicator | Incidence of veterinary medicinal product residues |
| Data | This indicator examines where veterinary medicinal products are at concentrations above the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL). It is shown as total percentage of samples which exceeded the MRL for red meat, poultry and egg samples. |
| Geographic coverage | Great Britain |
| Years | 1999 to 2006 |
| Source | National Surveillance Scheme, Veterinary Medicines Directorate (www.vmd.gov.uk). |
| Origin of data | The figures for the exceedance of the MRL come from the National Surveillance Scheme for UK produced food. These data have been retrieved from the Medicines Act Veterinary Information Service or ‘MAVIS’. |
| Updates | This indicator will be updated annually and was last updated in June 2007. The next update will be June 2008. |
| Background | Under the provisions of EC and UK legislation no veterinary medicinal product (VMP) may be marketed without a Marketing authorisation, which is granted only after detailed scientific assessment of data relating to safety, quality and efficacy. After authorisation, post authorisation surveillance is co-ordinated by the VMD. The National Surveillance Scheme, which focuses on UK production, monitors residues of VMPs to ensure that they are not present in concentrations that pose a risk to people’s health. This is a requirement for red meat, poultry meat, wild and farmed game, farmed fish, milk, honey and eggs. EU directive (96/23/EC) lays down the type of substances which must be monitored. Where a MRL is exceeded each sample will be investigated to find the cause of the residue and advice will be given. The surveillance programme has two purposes: i) to check for the illegal use of banned substances such as growth promoters and those substances for which an MRL cannot be set. These are the Group A substances listed below:
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| Statistical & methodological information | The National Surveillance Scheme complies with EU legislation (96/23/EC) which requires the national sampling strategy to be based on production in the previous year. The annual plan is approved by the European Commission. |
| Further information | The monthly reports and annual reports produced by the VMD, can be found on their website. |
Core indicator 5.3a: Veterinary medicine residues - indicator data sheet
This indicator examines where veterinary medicinal products are at concentrations above the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL).
Chart 5.3a(i) shows:
- With the exception of a marked increase in 2001, which was likely due to the contamination of feed during the Foot and Mouth outbreak, ‘red meat’ has shown a relatively low and consistent level over the period charted;
- In 2006, 0.22% of the 20,511 ‘red meat’ samples tested exceeded the MRL. In 2005 this percentage stood at 0.40%;
- In 2006 there were 7,029 poultry samples tested of which 0.41% exceeded residue limits; this was an increase from 2005 when 0.37% of samples exceeded MRL. However, 2005 and 2006 saw the lowest number of samples exceeding the MRL for the 8 years covered. This continues a decline since 2002 when 0.72% of the 9,283 samples tested exceeded limits;
- Eggs saw a decrease in the number of samples with detectable residues exceeding the MRL between 2005 and 2006. However, there had been a sharp increase between 2004 and 2005 in the levels of samples exceeding the MRL. In 2006, 1.24% of egg samples exceeded the MRL from a total sample of 482 eggs.
Samples from milk exceeded maximum residue limits in 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006. In 2006, 0.23% of the 856 samples taken exceeded MRL.
Core indicator 5.3b: Veterinary Medicine antimicrobial usage - indicator fact sheet
| Indicator | Veterinary medicines antimicrobial sales for food producing animals. |
| Data | Total veterinary antimicrobial sales for all food producing species as tonnes of active ingredient sold. Total live weight of animals slaughtered for food. |
| Geographic coverage | United Kingdom |
| Years | 1998 to 2005 |
| Source | Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) ‘Sales of Antimicrobial products authorised for use as veterinary medicines, antiprotozoals, antifungals, growth promoters and coccidiostats in the UK in 2005’. |
| Origin of data | The data on the live weights of animals slaughtered for food in the UK is provided from a number of sources: Defra’s Livestock Statistics Team provided the data for livestock; CEFAS, SEERAD and DARD provided fish production data; The total sales of antimicrobials sold for food animals is obtained by the VMD from pharmaceutical companies – these were provided voluntarily for the period 1998-2004; in 2005, however, they were collected as a statutory requirement in accordance with the provisions of EC Directive 2001/82 (as amended). |
| Updates | This indicator was published in June 2007 and will be updated annually. The next update will be in June 2008. |
| Background | The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) produce yearly reports detailing trends in the sales of veterinary antimicrobial products in the UK. The pharmaceutical companies which produce and market these products in the UK provide data used in the report. The figures should be regarded as indicative of overall trends in antimicrobial sales as no central record is kept regarding the use of medicines in animals. However, VMD believe it is reasonable to assume that there is a direct relationship between the sales of antimicrobials and those used. |
| Statistical & methodological information | The trends and figures within this indicator should be regarded as indicative of the overall trends rather than absolute figures. Data are provided by pharmaceutical companies, collated and verified by VMD. Sales of products are aggregated and reported in various ways including by their chemical grouping and target animal group (food producing, non food producing or for both categories) . At present there is no available method to produce results by species as many medicines are licensed for multiple species. Many animals are reared on farms for food production without using veterinary medicines such as antimicrobials. Other animals, such as dairy cattle, will be treated with medicines but never enter the food chain. However here it is assumed that the antimicrobials sold for food producing animals are used in animals which enter the food chain. |
| Further information | Further information about the Veterinary Medicines Directorate can be found at http://www.vmd.gov.uk/ |
Core indicator 5.3b: Veterinary Medicine antimicrobial usage - indicator data sheet
This indicator examines the sales of antimicrobial products in the UK which can be seen as a reliable proxy for the usage of veterinary antimicrobial products.
Graph 5.3b(i) shows both tonnes of active ingredients sold and live weight production (in thousand tonnes).
- Between 1998 & 1999 there was a 17% decrease in the amount of active ingredient sold from 534 tonnes to 443 tonnes. During this period there was a 1.8% decrease in the tonnage of live weight animals slaughtered for food, to 5,756 thousand tonnes.
- Between 2000 and 2001 there was almost a 6.9% decrease in tonnes of animals slaughtered from 5,582 thousand tonnes to 5,198 thousand tonnes. During the same period the tonnes of active ingredient sold dropped from 446 tonnes to 4,147 tonnes, a decrease of just under 7.2% per cent.
- Between 2002 and 2004 the tonnage of live weight animals slaughtered for food remained stable between 5,400 and 5,300. The tonnes of active ingredient sold also stayed between 413 and 428.
- Between 2004 and 2005 there was a 4.9% decrease in tonnage of antimicrobial active ingredient sold from 425 tonnes in 2004 to 404 tonnes in 2005. During the same period there was a 3.0% increase in the tonnage of animals slaughtered from 5,322 tonnes in 2004 to 5,480 tonnes in 2005.
- The tonnage of meat produced per one tonne of antimicrobial sold has risen since 1998 when 10,976 tonnes of meat were produced, to 2005 when 13,564 tonnes of meat were produced per one tonne of antimicrobial.
Page last
modified:
12 October, 2007
Page published: 24 November, 2006