Why has ELDU become an issue for Health Canada?
In Canada, the federal legislative authority for regulating the approval, sale and labelling of veterinary drugs is the responsibility of Health Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is responsible for enforcing the health and safety standards set by Health Canada. In the case of veterinary drugs, this is done through the residue monitoring program and, specifically, sampling and testing of food products of animal origin. The authority and accountability for the prescribing and use of veterinary drugs falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction. In recent years, increased attention has been focussed on ELDU in Canada partly as a result of concerns about the potential for ELDU abuse and/or misuse and the potential public health risks relating to the uncontrolled practice of ELDU in Canada. These concerns were also highlighted in the European Commission’s (EC) 2007 audit report on the evaluation of the Canadian control of residues and contaminants in live animals and
