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National Residue Program Quarterly Report (Oct–Dec 2021)

National Residue Program

In FY 2022 Q1, nine analytical methods were used by FSIS to detect approximately 260 different 

veterinary drugs, pesticides, and environmental contaminants. Key observations are below.

Surveillance Sampling Plan

Specified slaughter subclasses are sampled at the time of slaughter, after a carcass has passed 

antemortem inspection. Of the 1,894 samples analyzed by FSIS (1,834 from U.S. Federal plants and 60

from U.S. State inspected plants), six sample contained violative chemical residues. In total, more than 

361,000 chemical residue analyses were conducted on the 1,894 samples collected under the 

surveillance sampling plan. 

 
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Table 1: Summary of FY 2022 Q1 Surveillance Sampling Results

FY 2022 Q1 summary of surveillance sampling results from FSIS inspector-collected muscle, kidney, and liver tissue from carcasses and parts is 

shown.

Animal

Category Animal Class

Total Number of 

Samples Planned for FY

2022

Number of Samples Analyzed this Quarter

Total

Samples1

Number of NonDetect Samples

Number of NonViolative Positives

Samples

Number of 

Violative Samples

Bovine

Beef Cows 800 198 195 1 1

Bob Veal 400 78 78 0 0

Dairy Cows 800 215 212 1 2

Formula-Fed Veal 75 10 10 0 0

Heifers 400 107 107 0 0

Non-Formula-Fed Veal 75 12 11 1 0

Steers 400 97 96 1 0

Porcine

Feral Swine 75 16 16 0 0

Market Swine 800 198 197 1 0

Roaster Swine 300 67 66 0 1

Sows 800 183 181 2 0

Poultry

Young Chickens 400 104 103 1 0

Whole Chickens 400 92 90 2 0

Young Turkeys 800 217 215 2 0

Other

Species

Goats 300 69 69 0 0

Lambs 100 21 20 1 0

Mature Sheep 100 23 22 1 0

Siluriformes (Catfish) 650 157 150 5 2

Egg Products 400 30 29 1 0

Annual Total 8,075 1,894 1,867 20 6

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For raw product, a sample is a representative portion of a meat, poultry, or egg product collected to identify potential microbiological, chemical, or 

pathological hazards.
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 Table 2: FY 2022 Q1 Number Collected NRP Surveillance Sampling Residues by Chemical Methods

FY 2022 number collected surveillance sampling residue sampling summary is shown reflecting the number of samples (carcasses) analyzed per 

chemical method per animal class.

Animal

Category

Animal

Class

Number of Samples Analyzed per Chemical Method

Aminoglycosides Antifungal 

Dyes Carbadox Metals MRM1 Nitrofurans Pesticides PFAS2

Speciation

Bovine

Beef Cows 197 -- -- 41 197 -- 113 -- --

Bob Veal 78 -- -- 25 78 -- 40 -- --

Dairy Cows 215 -- -- 47 215 -- 108 -- --

Formula-Fed Veal 10 -- -- -- 10 -- 2 -- --

Heifers 107 -- -- 34 107 -- 57 -- --

Non- Formula Fed Veal 12 -- -- 1 12 -- 1 -- --

Steers 97 -- -- 36 97 -- 45 -- --

Porcine

Feral Swine -- -- -- -- -- -- 16 16 --

Market Swine 198 -- -- 46 198 -- 116 44 --

Roaster Swine -- -- 67 -- -- -- -- -- --

Sows 183 -- -- 41 183 -- 111 43 --

Poultry

Young Chickens 104 -- -- 20 104 19 68 14 --

Whole Chickens 92 -- -- -- 92 92 92 2 --

Young Turkeys 217 -- -- 51 217 45 132 -- --

Other

Species

Goats 69 -- -- -- 69 -- 19 -- --

Lambs 21 -- -- -- 21 -- 9 -- --

Mature Sheep 23 -- -- -- 23 -- 9 -- --

Siluriformes (Catfish) -- 50 -- 50 141 91 110 21 66

Egg Products -- -- -- -- 29 -- 26 -- --

Annual Total 1,623 50 67 392 1,793 247 1074 140 66

1 MRM: multiresidue method

2 PFAS: polyfluoroalkyl substances
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Table 3. FY 2022 Q1 Surveillance Sampling Residue Violations

List of FY 2022 surveillance sampling residue violations, including specific compound, concentration, tolerance, and regulatory citation by animal 

class is shown.

Animal

Class Tissue Compound Concentration Units Tolerance Level Value Authority (CFR Citation)

Beef Cow

Liver Salbutamol * * * Not Approved/1/

Muscle Salbutamol * * * Not Approved/1/

Dairy Cow Muscle Piperonyl Butoxide 0.116 ppm 0.10 40 CFR 180.127

Dairy Cow Kidney Desfuroylceftiofur 2.75 ppm 0.40 21 CFR 556.113

Roaster Swine Liver Carbadox 199 ppb 30 21 CFR 556.100

Siluriformes Muscle Lasalocid * * * Not Approved/1/

Siluriformes Muscle Metolachlor * * * Not Approved/1/

* Violative residue results were detected but not quantified.

/1/Not Approved: the residue detected is not approved for the animal class.

ppb – parts per billion (μg/kg) ppm – parts per million (mg/kg) 

CFR – Code of Federal Regulations
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Inspector-Generated Sampling Plan

FSIS inspectors conduct inspector-generated sampling when they suspect that animals presented for 

slaughter may have violative levels of chemical residues. If an inspector suspects that there is misuse of 

drugs that cannot be detected by the KISTM test, the samples are sent directly to the laboratory for 

appropriate analysis. These samples are reported under the Inspector-Generated program. If an

inspector suspects that there is misuse of drugs that cannot be detected by the KISTM test, the samples 

are sent directly to the laboratory for appropriate analysis. These samples are reported under the 

Collector-Generated program. 

In FY 2022 Q1, of the 36,161 Kidney Inhibition Swab (KISTM) tests conducted on animals selected by FSIS 

(Table 4), 421 samples were submitted to FSIS field laboratories for further analysis. In total, 89 chemical 

residue violations were reported in 74 samples (Table 5). Due to multiple analyses per sample 

submitted, multiple residue violations may be found in the same sample. The predominant violative 

residues in the inspector-generated samples were ceftiofur (26) and penicillin (13) which account for 

29% and 18% of total violative residues, respectively.
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Table 4. Summary of FY 2022 Q1 Inspector-Generated Sampling (KISTM) Test and Confirmatory Tests

FY 2022 Q1 summary of KISTM tests, number of in-plant screens with negative results, number of carcasses sent to FSIS laboratory for 

confirmation, and the number of carcasses (i.e., samples) with violations for each animal class.

Animal Category Animal Class

KIS TM Test 

Total Number of 

In-plant

Carcasses

Number of In-plant

Negative

Carcasses

Number of Samples 

Analyzed in FSIS 

Labs

Number of Samples 

with Confirmed Lab 

Violations 

Bovine Beef Cows 2,746 2,698 46 4

Bob Veal 3,817 3,790 25 15

Bulls 458 448 10 2

Dairy Cows 21,154 20,865 287 46

Formula-fed Veal 34 34 -- --

Heavy Calves 44 43 1 1

Heifers 829 817 10 1

Non-Formula-fed Veal 43 41 2 2

Steers 1,602 1,583 17 2

Porcine

Boar/Stag Swine 25 24 1 --

Market Swine 3,246 3,232 12 --

Roaster Swine 365 361 3 1

Sows 1,423 1,418 5 --

Other Species

Goats 173 172 2 --

Mature Sheep 92 92 -- --

Lambs 90 90 -- --

Annual Total 36,141 35,708 421 74
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Table 5. FY 2022 Q1 Inspector-Generated Sampling Residue Violation Results by Chemical Residue and Animal Class

FY 2022 Q1 summary of chemical residue violations reported within the inspector-generated sampling.

Chemical Residue 

Animal Class

Beef Cow Bob Veal Bulls Dairy Cow Heavy 

Calves Heifer

NonFormulafed Veal

Steer

Roaster 

Swine Goat Annual Total

Ampicillin -- -- -- 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- 4

Ciprofloxacin -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 -- -- -- -- 3

Desethylene 

Ciprofloxacin -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Desfuroylceftiofur 1 1 1 21 -- 1 -- 1 -- -- 26

Enrofloxacin -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Florfenicol -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Flunixin -- 3 -- 4 -- -- -- -- -- -- 7

Gentamycin Sulfate -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Ketoprofen 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Meloxicam 1 -- -- 2 -- -- -- -- -- -- 3

Neomycin -- 4 -- -- -- -- 2 -- -- -- 6

Penicillin -- 1 -- 10 1 -- -- -- 1 -- 13

Spectinomycin -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1 1

Sulfadiazine -- 7 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 7

Sulfadimethoxine -- -- -- 3 -- -- -- -- -- -- 3

Sulfadoxine -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Sulfamethazine -- -- -- 4 -- -- -- 1 -- -- 5

Sulfamethoxazole -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Sulfathiazole -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Tetracycline -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- 1

Tilmicosin 1 -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 2

Annual Total 4 21 3 52 1 2 2 2 1 1 89
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Table 6. Summary of FY 2022 Q1 Collected-Generated Sampling

FY 2022 Q1 summary of suspect animal samples sent directly to FSIS laboratory (collected-generated sampling) for appropriate analysis.

Animal Category Animal Class Total Samples Number of Non-Detect 

Samples

Number of NonViolative Positives

Samples

Number of Violative 

Samples

Bovine

Beef Cow 2 2 -- --

Bob Veal 1 -- 1 --

Bull 1 1 -- --

Dairy Cow 5 5 -- --

Heifer 2 2 -- --

Steer 1 -- 1 --

Porcine Market Swine 1 1 -- --

Other Species Lamb 9 -- -- --

Annual Total 22 11 2 0

In addition to the publication of the FY 2022 Sampling Summary NRP results, FSIS posts the details of each positive non-violative, and positive 

violative residue result associated with the NRP sampling program in a spreadsheet format on the FSIS website at: 

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/data-collection-and-reports/chemistry/red-books/redbook

This spreadsheet includes detailed information regarding samples collected and analyzed by FSIS under both the “scheduled” sampling and the 

“inspector-generated” sampling programs. Overall, these data indicate levels of metals in FSIS-regulated product, on average, are relatively low 

and are not likely to cause a human health concern. FSIS plans to update this spreadsheet on an ongoing basis so as to increase program 

transparency for all stakeholders. The spreadsheet includes the following data fields: sample collection and reviewed date, the project code, the 

animal class, tissue type, chemical residue name, concentration values, sample results (whether positive non-violative or positive violative), 

chemical concentration values (if any) and the CFR reference for each chemical listed. 
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Import Residue Sampling

Imported meat, poultry, and egg products are sampled through the point-of-entry Import Reinspection Sampling Plan. This verifies that foreign 

inspection systems in exporting countries are equivalent to U.S. standards. A total of 572 samples were analyzed under this program in FY 2022

Q1. During FY 2022 Q1, there were no violative import samples. The results are summarized in Table 7.

Table 7. Summary of FY 2022 Q1 Residue Sampling of Imported Products

FY 2022 Q1 import residue samples by inspection level and production type.

Product Name and Project Code Analytical 

Method

Normal1

Number of 

Samples 

Analyzed

Non-Violative 

Positives

Samples

Annual Total

Imported Fish Products-Eastern Laboratory

IMPFISH_CH_E

Antifungal Dyes, 

Metals, MRM 143 -- 222

Imported Fish Products-Western Laboratory

IMPFISH_CH_W

Nitrofurans, 

Pesticides 144 -- 209

Imported - Metals

IMPMETALS Metals 74 -- 132

Imported - Pesticide 

IMPPESTICIDE Pesticides 176 -- 162

Imported Egg Products - Chemistry

IMPRESEGG Pesticides 9 -- 12

Imported Processed Products - Residue 

Eastern Lab IMPRESPR_EL Avermectins 11 -- 23

Imported Processed Products - Residue 

Midwestern Lab IMPRESPR_MWL Sulfonamides 15 -- 12

Annual Total 572 0 572

/1/Increased is a level of reinspection above the normal level that is directed by a FSIS management decision. Under increased reinspection, FSIS may hold, on a case-by-case basis, 

lots of imported meat, poultry, or egg products pending receipt of a laboratory analysis. If FSIS does not place the product on hold, the importer of record is still required to hold 

product tested for adulterants by FSIS and is not to allow such product to enter commerce unless and until negative results are received. Intensified is a level of reinspection that is 

implemented automatically by the Public Health Information System (PHIS) when a Type of Inspection PHIS task is reported as “Fail.” Under intensified reinspection, FSIS holds the 

sampled lot at the official import inspection establishment pending receipt of laboratory analysis. The sampled lot is not allowed to move off-site to be held. Intensified is a level of 

reinspection that is implemented automatically by the Public Health Information System (PHIS) when a Type of Inspection PHIS task is reported as “Fail.” Under intensified 

reinspection, FSIS holds the sampled lot at the official import inspection establishment pending receipt of laboratory analysis. The sampled lot is not allowed to move off-site to be 

held.