Residues and food safety

Chemical residue monitoring and minimisation

The National Residue Survey (NRS) monitors residues of rural chemicals and environmental contaminants in selected Australian animal products (meat, egg, honey and fish) and plant products (grain, oilseed and horticulture).

NRS residue monitoring facilitates Australia’s access to key export and domestic markets for participating industries by underpinning industry quality assurance programs.

The term residue generally refers to:

• small amounts of rural chemicals
• chemical breakdown products that remain on or in agricultural produce
• environmental contaminants such as metals and other chemicals that may be present in food, either through natural circumstances or industrial or agricultural activities.

Other chemical residue minimisation programs coordinated by Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment include the National Antibacterial Residue Minimisation (NARM) Program and the National Organochlorine Residue Management (NORM) Program.

We participate in these programs for South Australia.