Day 091 - 17 Feb 95 - Page 37
1
2 Q. What were they?
3 A. Their reasons for banning drugs are usually if there is
4 any concern to the people, the operators using that
5 compound, and also for the safety of the general public.
6 What is normally required when an antibiotic is registered,
7 or a new requirement for an antibiotic being registered, is
8 that the firm registering that antibiotic has to
9 demonstrate what is called a "maximum residue limit" which
10 is the residue limit, the maximum limit of drug that could
11 be found in a meat producing animal and they have to
12 demonstrate that there is a withdrawal time which will make
13 that product free of antibiotic.
14
15 The instruction in Europe at the moment, certainly in this
16 country, is that the manufacturers of Furazolodone must
17 provide residue limits by July 1995 if that compound is
18 going to become fully registered, so there is not a
19 total --
20
21 Q. Is it allowed to be used in the meantime?
22 A. It can still be used.
23
24 Q. Is it not right that in 1992 a joint United Nations World
25 Health Organisation Committee said it could not set a safe
26 level for residues of this drug in animals?
27 A. This is correct.
28
29 Q. Is it right that they found low levels in chicken flesh and
30 eggs several days after the drug was administered?
31 A. You will find levels of any antibiotic after it has
32 been administered. The important thing is to withdraw the
33 antibiotic in time before the animal is slaughtered so that
34 the meat is free of residue.
35
36 Q. But is it normal to find antibiotics in low level residues
37 in the meat several days after it was administered?
38 A. It is normal to find -- the purpose of an antibiotic is
39 for treatment and, by definition, it circulates around the
40 blood stream and gets to all the tissues of the body. So,
41 after treatment there will be residues, depending on the
42 tissue, which will be present for a while after treatment.
43 The important thing is to withdraw the treatment in time
44 for the residues to clear before that meat goes for human
45 consumption.
46
47 MR. JUSTICE BELL: You are being asked if residues can remain
48 for several days. We may go on to find out how long but
49 ----
50 A. Again it depends on the antibiotic but it can be a few
51 days. In the case of Furazolodone residues have been
52 shown, I believe, for up to 48 hours. In the case of
53 chloratetracycline for up to 72 hours. It depends on the
54 antibiotic.
55
56 MS. STEEL: When the MAFF test for antibiotic residues, do they
57 actually check that there is none there whatsoever, or do
58 they have a limit that it must not be over?
59 A. They do the test. They send us the results which will
60 show whether there is any residue, whether there is no
