January 6, 2009

UK's poultry industry is working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to identify ways to reduce the incidence and levels of nicarbazin residue in British chickens.

Testing of chicken livers occasionally finds traces of nicarbazin, a feed additive used to treat bird disease coccidiosis. The number of samples testing positive for nicarbazin has dropped sharply from 25.5 percent in 1998 to 5.8 percent in 2007.

While the levels are not a significant food safety risk, the FSA wants to reduce levels further. A FSA spokeswoman said the agency wants levels to be as low as possible and wants to see a fall in numbers of samples testing 100ug/kg or more.

Samples testing over 200ug/kg are reported as positives while those with a level over 1,000ug/kg will trigger an on-farm investigation by the Animal Medicines Inspectorate.

A joint industry and government study has found that the higher residue levels of over 1,000ug/kg were probably due to breakdowns in bin management systems. The study said that while it is a good practice to empty bulk bins between feed deliveries, it does not always happen in practice as managers are reluctant to risk running out of feed. Therefore, producers over-order feed containing nicarbazin, which then complicates bin management.