The recently published 2023 EFSA report on veterinary drug residues confirms continued high compliance with EU limits, with non-compliant samples remaining at an impressively low 0.11%. The report highlights the effectiveness of control plans in ensuring food safety across Europe.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released its yearly report on the residues of veterinary medicinal products found in live animals and animal products. The findings for 2023 reveal that the overall non-compliance rate remained very low at just 0.11%—602 non-compliant samples out of 548,194 tested across EU Member States, Iceland, and Norway.

This marks the first year the report incorporates a new division of samples into three distinct plans. Non-compliance rates were reported as follows: 0.15% for the National risk-based control plan for production in the Member States, 0.29% for the National randomized surveillance plan, and 0.23% for the National risk-based control plan for third-country imports.

EFSA’s report aids risk managers in evaluating the effectiveness of these control plans, helping the European Commission and Member States identify potential follow-up measures. These efforts are aimed at further minimizing non-compliance in future years, reinforcing EU food safety standards and the integrity of the food chain.