Stricter rules on use of veterinary medicines to ensure food safety

The Government has approved new requirements for official controls on residues of pharmacologically active substances in products of animal origin.

The new provisions aim to increase food safety by preventing the incorrect use of veterinary medicines and by verifying compliance with the permitted residue limits in products. In this way, the health of humans and animals is protected and the legal trade in products of animal origin is supported.

An important element is the introduction of a clearer control system, which includes three types of checks: risk-based control of production in the Republic of Moldova; random surveillance of national production; and risk-based control of imports from other countries.

The document also sets the minimum annual number of samples that must be taken for verification and the types of testing that can be applied: targeted, random, or suspicion-based testing.

The selection of substances, animals, products, and operators to be checked will be made according to several factors, including consumer risk and history of violations.

Responsibility for implementing the monitoring programs will rest with the National Food Safety Agency, which will ensure the monitoring of samples and the transparency of the results of official controls.