Analyses of Residues

The Department for testing of residues carries out research of safety parameters of food, feed, dietary products and products of general use.

Department uses 36 accredited methods in its work, in the examination of the residues of veterinary drugs, pesticides, heavy metals and other toxic substances.

Antibiotics, anthelmintics, sulfonamides, thyrostatic substances, coccidiostats, sedatives, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, nitrofurans, are some of the groups of drugs whose residues are examined using the chromatographic methods. In regard to pesticides, the Department examines organochlorine, organophosphate and carbamate pesticides and the pyrethroids. In addition to the research and analyses of toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury), by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry it is possible to determine a range of micro- and macro-elements. and The methods for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smoked products, histamine and colour in fish and fish products are accredited.

In addition to food safety research to assess if and to which extent the regulations have been met, staff of the Department actively participate in the realization of scientific projects, given the level of training and experience of personnel and technical equipment of modern analytical devices, providing analytical services also to other scientific research organizations.

In order to improve their work, associates of the Department have intensive cooperation with the EU reference laboratories in the Netherlands, France and Germany, actively participate in the programs of risk assessment and the improvement of communication on risks to food safety and continuously plan the development, optimization and validation of new testing methods for toxic substances.