PROGRAMS FOR SURVEILLANCE AND MONITORING OF ANTIBACTERIAL RESIDUES INAUSTRALIA, 1989 TO 1993

The development of a State-based confirmatory testing capability for a ntibiotic residues in meat in Australia has allowed the rapid feedback to producers failing to comply with antibiotic maximum residue limits . The identification of problem areas in various categories of livesto ck, and subsequent focused surveillance programs, has reduced the prev alence of antibacterial residues in both domestic and export meat prod ucts. Failure to observe withholding periods of antibacterial drugs af ter treatment is the most significant cause of non-compliance. In the period July 1991 to June 1993 the compliance rate for antibacterial re sidues for all species was 99.9%.