2.3 Risk Communication
A critically important aspect of a food safety risk analysis is an effective two-way
exchange of information throughout the process. Evaluation reports document the
risks and the proposed approaches to managing the identified risks. Based on these
reports and dialogue with the risk assessors, risk managers gain a clear understand-
ing of the involved hazards and risks, the basis of decisions taken in the risk
assessment, and the implications of the proposed strategy for managing the risks.
The regulator must ensure that producer organisations and consumers understand
the identified risks and the proposed risk mitigation strategy. Consumer engage-
ment, including the presentation of programmes that provide an understanding of
the regulatory processes, serves to assure consumers that drug residues in animal-
derived foods do not pose a health risk.
Market access is the focus of risk communication relating to drug residues in
international trade in animal-derived food commodities. Risk communication
involves conveying to all participants along the food chain the importance of
properly discharging their responsibilities in order to comply with the food stan-
dards of importing countries. Observing the directions for use including withdrawal
periods in the labelling of the product is essential for ensuring that all residues
comply with MRL and the health of the consumers is protected.
3 Post-approval Monitoring
3.1 Residue Control Programmes
Residue control programmes are structured in accordance with a country’s needs.
Programmes of developed countries generally comprise both domestic and import
residue sampling programmes. Veterinary drugs for inclusion in these programmes
are selected on the basis of their risk profiles. Only the domestic residue sampling
programme includes steps for addressing the occurrence of violative residues in
food-producing animals, on-farm. Domestic residue sampling programmes are also
a trade requirement, either mandatory or as an expectation of the importing
countries allowing market access to animal-derived foodstuffs. The import residue
sampling programme is primarily a verification programme to determine that the
domestic residue sampling programme of an exporting country is operating effec-
tively. These programmes have two principal components: monitoring and surveil-
lance. Residue monitoring programmes randomly sample tissues from animals at
slaughter. Tissue samples are assayed for residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides
and environmental contaminants, and the residues are assessed for compliance with
the applicable MRL or environmental standard. The minimum sample size chosen
for monitoring purposes typically provides a 95% probability of detecting at least
one violation when 1% of the animal population contains residues above MRL
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