FOOD ANIMAL RESIDUE AVOIDANCE DATABANK (FARAD)

The Food Animal Residue Avoidance and Depletion (FARAD) program which maintains the Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank is a chemical food safety program that has been in existence for over 34 years and has been a collaborative effort by scientists from as many as four veterinary colleges at Kansas State University, North Carolina State University, University of California Davis, and the University of Florida. The program goal of FARAD is to provide the most up to date information that result in the production of safe foods of animal origin through the prevention and mitigation of violative chemical (drug, pesticide, natural toxins, and environmental contaminant) residues in food animal products. The program accomplishes this through its objectives which are to identify, extract, assemble, evaluate and distribute reviewed information about residue avoidance and mitigation to people involved in residue avoidance programs throughout the United States. In many cases this data does not exist, requiring extensive computational modeling be developed to provide valid estimates for ensuring safe food. FARAD this year will also continue to develop a global system to ensure safe imports into the US and facilitate export of residue-free meat, milk and eggs. Each of the four FARAD centers has expertise for generation and delivery of the required information which eliminates redundancies and allows for smooth collaboration of collective talents unique to the field of veterinary pharmacokinetics research and related database management.