Veterinary Drug Residues in China

The regulation on administration of veterinary drugs was mainly used to prevent and control veterinary drug residues in China. The first version of this regulation was issued by the State Council on 21 May 1987, and major modifications were made in 2001 and 2004. In order to make sure that the regulation on administration of veterinary drugs was smoothly implemented, the Ministry of Agriculture of China (MOA) developed some appropriate supporting regulations, such as Measures for Registration of Veterinary Drugs. The MOA also issued standards for the rational use of veterinary drugs in some animals. Some of these standards played a positive role in preventing veterinary drug residues in animal-derived foods. The execution of a tracking and traceability system needs to be improved to track the noncompliant samples, so that traceability of animal-derived food can be realized. Furthermore, it is imperative to institute a commitment system for assurance of quality and safety of animal-derived food.