Monitoring Program

Monitoring Program 

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Monitoring Program

The Department of Fisheries has been established “The National Residue Control

Plan” since B.E 2542 (1999) in order to inspect and monitor the residues of undesired

substances in aquaculture product samples. This control program is a part of the

preventive framework for consumer health protection. It is the aim of the NRCP to

uncover illegal use of banned or unauthorised substances and to monitor the proper use of

permitted veterinary drugs. Further, the programmes gather data about contamination

with environmental contaminants such as heavy metals.

According to Animal Feed Quality Control Act.B.E.2558 (A.D.2015), aquatic

animal feed distribution or production or import for commercial use shall be licensed by

Department of Fisheries (DOF). At present, complete feed, concentrate feed, premixed feed and

supplemental feed for marine shrimp, freshwater prawn, catfish, freshwater herbivorous fish,

freshwater carnivorous fish, marine carnivorous fish, frog and soft-shelled turtle shall be

registered with the DOF. The DOF routinely inspects the manufacturers, importer and

distributors of aquafeed to ensure they are providing safe and qualified products that

comply with the DOF aquafeed standard.

Aquatic Animal Feed Research and Development Division (AAFRD),

Department of Fisheries is the official agency responsible for licensing and registration of

aquatic animal feed to be sold for commercial purposes according to the law of the

Kingdom of Thailand

Farms which are registered as aquaculture establishment for export under DOF

Regulation on registration of aquaculture establishment for exportation of aquatic animals

B.E. 2557 (2014) must be inspected for farm sanitary and biosecurity and the sample of

aquatic animals from those farms must be taken and submitted to laboratory testing for

disease surveillance 2 times per year. In case of non-compliance, the corrective action

must be taken or in case of laboratory testing positive for any disease of concern, disease

eradication must be performed. Otherwise, the aquaculture establishment will be

withdrawn from the register list. 

Aquaculture drugs shall be stated in the HACCP plan as a CCP in raw material

receiving step both from domestic aquaculture farm and imported one. The finished

product shall be also taken to be analyzed for aquaculture drug as planned before export.

When a aquaculture drug residue presented both from the DOF’s laboratories or received

the rapid alert from importing country, DOF’s officer would provide investigation

inspection, in the meantime, all suspected product would be temporarily suspended.

When the effective corrective action plan is accepted by the DOF, the suspension would

be terminated.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Ministry of Public Health, is

responsible for establishing MRLs for veterinary medicines, chemical contaminants and

pesticide residues in Food. If there are MRLs recommended by Codex Alimentarius

Commission, such limits are adopted as the National tolerances. If there is no

recommendation by Codex on other substances of concerns, MRLs established by major

importing countries such as the EU, USA, Australia, Japan etc. will be considered for

adoption. In case of fishery products for export, the MRLs established shall apply the

importing countries. 

This below table is concerning to the  MAL of of harmful and banned substances

in Aquatic animal samples.

Chemical parameters 

No	Product type	Criteria	MAL	Name, No of the regulatory act
1	Aquaculture	Chloramphenicol	Prohibited (Maximum Requirement Performance Limit; MRPL 0.3 ug/kg)	Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 299) B.E. 2549 (2006)
2	Aquaculture	Nitrofuran (metabolites) - AOZ - AMOZ - AHD - SEM	Prohibited (Maximum Requirement Performance Limit; MRPL 1.0 ug/kg each)
3	Aquaculture	Malachite green and Leuco-Malachite green	Prohibited (Maximum Requirement Performance Limit; MRPL 2.0 ug/kg)
4	Aquatic animal	Formaldehyde	Prohibited	Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 151) B.E. 2536 (1993)
5	Aquaculture shrimp	Enrofloxacin	Prohibited	Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No. 303) B.E. 2550 (2007)
6	Aquaculture	Oxolinic acid	Prohibited