CgFARAD - the Canadian Food Animal Residue Avoidance Database

Food animal production in Canada is dependent on drugs and other chemicals to protect the health and welfare of animals. Food animals may also be exposed to environmental contaminants or possibly become objects of bioterrorism.To protect Canadian public health, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) screens for chemical and drug residues in foods of animal origin. However, not all products are tested and detection programs are not available for all drugs and chemicals used in livestock production.To proactively reduce residue risks, veterinarians must provide producers with science-based withdrawal interval recommendations for extralabel drug use or chemical exposures. Practitioners may lack information with which to make such recommendations.With financial support from the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Adaptation and Rural Development Fund (CARD Fund), veterinary medical and livestock producer groups, Canada joined a global food animal residue avoidance databank program known as gFARAD in the fall of 2002. Based at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, SK, and the Faculte de medecine veterinaire at St Hyacinthe, QC, the Canadian gFARAD provides information on residue avoidance to veterinarians.