asked the Minister for Agriculture the methods used in the monitoring of all meat for export for presence of antibiotic residues by his Department; if significant quantities have been found in any case in recent years and, if so, the action taken.
Written Answers. - Meat for Export.
375.
The method employed here in the monitoring of meat for export for presence of antibiotic residues is an agar gel diffusion test using the inhibition of growth of drug-sensitive bacteria to indicate the presence of anti-bacterial residues.
Of 3,686 samples of beef tested between 1974 and 1978 two were found to contain antibiotic residues and during the same period six out of 2,294 samples of pork tested were found to be similarly positive. In all cases the sources were traced and advice provided on how to avoid a recurrence.