Livestock Drug Residue Testing to Be Completely Overhauled Based on Risk

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency will completely overhaul the system for testing veterinary drug residues in livestock products based on risk.

On the 3rd, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency said it had established the “Guidelines for Risk-Based Priority Assessment of Veterinary Drug Residues in Livestock Products” to systematically test veterinary drugs, including antibiotics, according to their level of risk. The guidelines are scheduled to be applied beginning with the development of the 2027 National Residue Program (NRP) plan.

The guidelines were developed in response to the significant increase in the number of substances subject to testing following the implementation of the Positive List System (PLS) in 2024. Under the PLS, a strict limit of 0.01 mg/kg or less is applied uniformly to veterinary drugs without established maximum residue limits, increasing the need to focus on substances with higher risks rather than testing all substances in the same manner.

Accordingly, the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency analyzed approximately 100,000 domestic residue test results from the past three years, along with veterinary drug use patterns. It also incorporated cases from major countries, including the United States and the European Union (EU), as well as international standards from the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to organize a new five-stage assessment procedure.

The new five-stage procedure will proceed in the following order: ▲selection of substances subject to assessment ▲calculation of priorities based on residue violation history, toxicity and other factors ▲calculation of the number of samples based on statistical requirements and other considerations ▲allocation of testing volumes according to priority ▲final adjustment and confirmation reflecting field conditions and other factors.

The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency expects the guidelines to improve the efficiency and reliability of residue testing and strengthen food safety. It also plans to contribute to expanded exports by enhancing the international credibility of domestic livestock products through a testing system aligned with international standards.

Jeong Seung-gyo, director of the Animal Disease Management Division at the Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, emphasized, “The significance of the new guidelines is that they establish common criteria for determining ‘what to test and how much to test’ based on risk,” adding, “We will focus testing capabilities on substances requiring greater management to enhance both food safety and the international credibility of K-livestock products.”