The number of positive samples containing residues in Irish-produced food has continued to fall, with 197 positives found in 50,457 samples taken in 2004, the Department of Agriculture and Food reported yesterday.
It said the level of 0.39 per cent was in line with the low levels found in recent years; 0.36 in 2003, 0.53 in 2002 and 0.58 per cent in 2001.
Of 298 samples taken from imported product, one sample of shrimps from Bangladesh proved positive for antibiotics.
During 2004, no residues were found of growth promoters notwithstanding a continued high level of monitoring both at farm and factory levels.
"The absence of banned hormonal growth promoters in Irish beef and other meat, as indicated by these results, is reassuring for consumers, and reflects the fruits of rigorous enforcement by the department in past years and the responsible approach adopted by farmers," it said.
Testing for residues of antibiotic medicines in food found an overall positive level of 0.4 per cent - 165 positives out of 39,245 samples - and was broadly the same as in 2003 , 217 positives out of 55,359 samples. This continues a downward trend.
It said that in the pig sector, where 31,499 screening tests were carried out for antibiotics, the level of positives was 0.3 per cent. This also reflected a continuing downward trend.
In the bovine sector the majority of antibiotic positives, 50 out of a total of 66 positives, were found in the cases of animals which were detained on suspicion by the department's veterinary inspectors at slaughter plants.
"In contrast, of 2,056 bovines tested using standard selection criteria, 0.8 per cent showed positive for antibiotic residues, which is a more representative picture of the bovine sector as a whole."
In the poultry sector it reported that 22 samples of 3,065 samples taken tested positive for residues, representing an overall positive level of 0.7 per cent.
These had been thoroughly investigated, and it consulted with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) on any food safety issues arising. Following risk assessment, the FSAI was satisfied that a risk to consumers of poultry meat had not arisen.
In the aquaculture sector the national residues monitoring plan is managed by the Department of the Marine.More than 1,000 targeted tests were carried out on 183 samples of farmed fin fish.
Five samples from one salmon farm were reported as positive for malachite green and its metabolite, leucomalachite green.