FAO and WHO are currently seeking experts, stakeholders and data related to the carry-over from feed to food of unavoidable and unintended residues of approved veterinary drugs. The three calls have been issued in preparation of the FAO/WHO Stakeholder Meeting on 7 January 2019 and the Expert Consultation Meeting on 8 to 11 January 2019 in Rome, Italy.

The 23^rd Codex Committee on Residue of Veterinary Drugs in Food has requested FAO and WHO to provide scientific advice to address the issue of unintended presence of residues of approved veterinary drugs in food of animal origin resulting from carry-over of veterinary drugs in feed.

Even under circumstances where all relevant good practices have been fully implemented and followed in feed manufacturing facilities, an unintended and unavoidable presence of low levels of certain veterinary drugs in feed lots that follow the production of medicated feed can be observed. To evaluate any potential consequences for food safety from such feed, it is critical to determine whether such low-level presence of residues in food associated with unavoidable and unintended carry-over in feed: would constitute a threat to human health; and would have a negative impact on trade. In addition, potential risk management measures should be developed to mitigate any risk as necessary. This information will be used to evaluate the need for any new work in this area.

Contact and other details are available at the following links:

Call for experts (by 15 September 2018) - http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/feed-safety-platform/call_for_experts.pdf

Call for stakeholders (by 15 November 2018) - http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/feed-safety-platform/call_for_stakeholders.pdf

Call for data (by 15 December 2018) - http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/user_upload/feed-safety-platform/call_for_data.pdf