The content of residues in fresh meat is monitored and inspected on an ongoing basis by the public authorities as well as the abattoirs through self-control programmes. Each year a total of approx. 20,000 samples from the abattoirs are tested. Danish pork has a very low level of residues of antibiotics compared to other European countries.

The result of the samples from the abattoirs:

Antibiotics and chemotherapeutics

• In the last 10 years of spot checking (2007-2017) of Danish pork, residues have been found from antibiotics and chemotherapeutics in 0.0 - 0.02% of the samples (in the past years 18,000-20,000 samples annually).

Hormones

• In the EU, it is forbidden to use hormones for growth-stimulating purposes.
• We havenotfound residues from hormones in Danish porkwith the exception of one single case.

Pesticides and PCB

• Since the 1980s, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration has planned and completed spot checking of residual concentrations of pesticides and PCB in food products – both animal and vegetable food products.
• The permitted threshold values have never been exceeded.

Dioxins

• Each year approx. 100 samples are tested for dioxins and so far, the EU’s threshold value hasnotbeen exceeded,with the exception of one single case.

Heavy metals

• Only one single sample has ever exceeded the permitted threshold values for heavy metals (lead, cadmium and mercury as well as traces of nickel, selenium and chromium).

Denmark has developed a food monitoring programme to supervise the content of residues in e.g. fresh meat in accordance with the EU Directive 96/23/EC. The monitoring programme consists of a public part from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and a self-control part performed by the abattoirs. In total, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the self-control system check about 20,000 samples of pigs from the abattoirs each year.