Overview
NIFA administers the funding that establishes and maintains the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD), a computer-based decision support system designed to provide livestock producers, extension specialists, and veterinarians with practical information on how to avoid drug, pesticide, and environmental contaminant residue problems. The drugs and pesticides used in modern animal agriculture improve animal health and thereby promote more efficient and humane production.
Wherever drugs are used to treat sick animals or prevent disease, there is a potential that residues may be incurred. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which must approve all drugs meant to be marketed for use in animals, establishes tolerances for drug residues (similar to speed limits) to ensure food safety. The FDA also establishes “withdrawal times” or “withholding periods,” which are times after drug treatment when milk and eggs are not to be used for food and during which animals are not to be slaughtered. This allows time for the animals to eliminate the drug residues.
FARAD is a repository of comprehensive residue avoidance information. FARAD also is sanctioned to provide these estimates to the U.S. Pharmacopeia-Drug Information (USP-DI) Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee. Since 1982, FARAD has been working with producers, extension specialists and agents, and veterinarians to help avoid and mitigate residue problems. As a cooperative multistate program, FARAD is available nationwide to offer advice about residue avoidance.