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Avoiding Chemical Residues In Your Calves

Unacceptable residues from veterinary and stock chemicals are one of the biggest threats to our domestic and export meat trade.

By Department of Primary Industries - 28th August 2006 - Back to News

Bobby calves are a potential food product. By observing the following points, the risk of chemical residues in your calves should be successfully avoided:

Read the label

Always read the label before using any chemical. Labels contain important information such as dose rates, frequency of treatment and withholding periods.

Use the right dose

Always use the dose rate and frequency of treatment recommended on the label. Overdosing can prolong the excretion of the drug in which case the recommended withholding period and/or Export Slaughter Interval (ESI) will no longer be valid.

Follow treatment directions

Treatment should only be administered to animals for which the drug is recommended or prescribed, by the route recommended by the label.

Be especially careful not to allow contaminated milk from cows treated with veterinary drugs such as dry cow treatments to be fed to bobby calves you intend to sell for slaughter.

Identify treated animals

Identify treated animals at the time of treatment with a visual mark that is readily understood by all involved in dealing with the animals. Retain that identification for the withholding period and/or ESI and if possible keep those animals isolated at the time of and following treatment. A number of chemical residue detections have resulted from the inadvertent sale of a treated calf.

Maintain treatment records

Treatment records should contain the identity of the animal, treatment date, drug used, dosage given and the date the withholding period and/or ESI ends. This will help prevent the accidental sale of calves before the relevant withholding period and/or ESI has expired.

Observe withholding periods

The withholding period is the minimum period of time that must elapse between the last use of a drug or chemical and the sale of an animal for human consumption in Australia.

Bobby calves that receive contaminated milk from treated cows must be withheld from sale for the same meat withholding period as that applicable to the cow.

Check the Export Slaughter Interval (ESI)

An ESI is the minimum period of time that must elapse between the last use of a drug or chemical and the sale of an animal for export processing.

Although a first glance this list may appear onerous, it does provide a guide to avoiding chemical residues in your calves, and over time it should become a routine practice.

For further information please contact your local veterinarian or DPI Veterinary or Animal Health Officer.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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