The new procedure to which the Deputy refers is a rapid screening test devised by an Irish company to detect residues of clenbuterol in the bile of slaughtered animals. It is currently being run as a pilot project to assess its suitability and feasibility for general use. The pilot project, which is the final stage in the development of the system, is being partly funded by the Commission of the European Union and my Department. The cost of testing has not yet been finally determined but will be of the order of £750,000.
The future use of the system will be reviewed following the completion of the pilot project.
Most drugs can be eliminated from an animal's system during an appropriate withdrawal period. It is this principle which enables authorised products to be used safely. The period for which a residue can be detected depends on the substance and the tissue in which the residue is sought. In testing for residues my Department concentrates on tissues in which the drug persists longest. In the case of clenbuterol the effects of the drug are reversed if a reasonable withholding period is observed and therefore the incentive to use the substance no longer exists. It is believed that the new test methods, which can detect 0.1 part per billion, now being employed, can act as an effective deterrent.
