Historical Perspective on the Regulation of Antimicrobial Residues in Food

Abstract

When we think about international regulation of veterinary drug residues in foods, three entities come to mind. These are the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) and the Veterinary International Cooperation on Harmonization (VICH). Because this workshop is more scientific than regulatory in nature, the history and activities of the scientific advisory bodies that serve these entities will be described. These are the Joint FAO:WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), the Committee for Veterinary Medicinal Products and the Safety Working Group. These scientific working groups provide support to the CAC, EMEA and VICH, respectively, on matters related to the safety of veterinary drug residues in food and the appropriate tests needed to determine safety.