Food Animal Residue Avoidance
Databank
Livestock producers, veterinarians, and
feed producers recognize food residue avoidance
as the key to consumer confidence, and they
are enhancing and formalizing programs that
will permeate every facet of the production
system. The development of effective residue
avoidance and quality assurance programs
requires access to a vast array of information.
The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank
(FARAD) offers the means to provide this
information.
CSREES administers the funding that establishes
and maintains FARAD, a computer-based decision
support system designed to provide livestock
producers, extension specialists, and veterinarians
with practical information on how to avoid
drug, pesticide, and environmental contaminant
residue problems. The drugs and pesticides
used in modern animal agriculture improve
animal health and thereby promote more efficient
and humane production.
Wherever drugs are used to treat sick animals
or prevent disease, there is a potential
that residues may be incurred. The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), which must
approve all drugs meant to be marketed for
use in animals, establishes tolerances for
drug residues (similar to speed limits) to
ensure food safety. The FDA also establishes “withdrawal
times” or “withholding periods,” which
are times after drug treatment when milk
and eggs are not to be used for food and
during which animals are not to be slaughtered.
This allows time for the animals to eliminate
the drug residues.
FARAD is a repository of comprehensive residue
avoidance information. FARAD also is sanctioned
to provide these estimates to the U.S. Pharmacopeia-Drug
Information (USP-DI) Veterinary Medicine
Advisory Committee. Since 1982, FARAD has
been working with producers, extension specialists
and agents, and veterinarians to help avoid
and mitigate residue problems. As a cooperative
multistate program, FARAD is available nationwide
to offer advice about residue avoidance.
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