Funding to ensure non-contaminated meat essential

Schaumburg, Ill. - 10/17/07 - A national database established to inform veterinarians how to rid livestock - and therefore, their meat - of contaminants and drugs has lost its federal funding and is slated to discontinue service next year.

With a $2.5 million yearly budget, the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database (FARAD), established in 1982, helps to ensure safe food for U.S. consumers. The site advises veterinarians about how long environmental and livestock feed contaminants - including melamine, poisons and common veterinary medicines - must be given to filter out of livestock animals' systems.

"It's ironic that, at this time when food safety is of such pressing importance to the general public, Congress is allowing funding to FARAD to expire. The same year when FARAD might have helped mitigate the Chinese melamine crisis, the database was rendered unusable with barely enough funding to maintain essential personnel," says Dr. Doug Meckes, assistant director of the American Veterinary Medical Association Government Relations Division.

As the sole information source guiding DVMs in the control of drug and contamination residue, FARAD's shutdown is anticipated to have a "devastating" effect on food safety, says Meckes.

"It's an important issue for food safety, animal welfare and public health, and we desperately need Congress to recognize this as a priority and pass permanent fudning for FARAD," he concludes.