The occurrence and importance of residues in meat and their evaluation within official meat inspection.

Food of animal origin is an important factor in protecting the consumer from health risks emanating from the environment. This is why chemical and drug residues in food animals have been included in the Meat Inspection Act in the Federal Republic of Germany. The following substances are subject to regulation: Drugs; Feed additives; Pesticides; Toxic substances from the environment. While drugs may give rise to resistance of infective agents to them, feed additives may accumulate in the organism and have a toxic effect. Pesticides themselves may not be harmful in the amounts, which accumulate in meat, however, their metabolic products in the human body may be toxic. Radioactive substances and radioactive fall-out as well as cadmium and mercury are dangerous when accumulating in meat. Therefor, fixation of tolerance levels for defined residues has been started to be set according to the new Foods Act, including their toxicological evaluation. Condemnation of organs of slaughter animals in which these chemicals accumulate is obligatory.