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NRS 2023-24 Industry brochure: Seafood - English (PDF 800 KB)
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Key points
- In 2023–24, the overall compliance with Australian standards was 99.47% for aquaculture samples and 100% for wild-caught samples.
- Australian seafood producers continue to demonstrate a high degree of good catching, growing, and processing practice.
- The National Residue Survey’s quality management system (QMS) is certified to ISO standard 9001:2015.
The National Residue Survey (NRS) operates within the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and since 1992 has been funded by industries through levies, cost recovery arrangements and direct payments.
The NRS is an essential part of Australia’s pesticide and veterinary medicine residue management framework providing verification of good agricultural practice in support of chemical control-of-use legislation and guidelines.
NRS programs monitor the levels of, and associated risks from, pesticides and veterinary medicine residues and contaminants in Australian food products. The programs help to facilitate and encourage ongoing access to domestic and export markets. The NRS supports Australia’s primary producers and food processors who provide quality animal, grain and horticulture products which meet both Australian and relevant international standards.
Seafood program overview
The seafood program has been operating since the early 1990s and involves the testing of Australian aquaculture and wild-caught products for a range of pesticides, veterinary medicines and environmental contaminants.
The program ensures seafood exports satisfy Australian export certification and importing country requirements. In addition, the program supports industry quality assurance initiatives and enables domestic seafood processing facilities to satisfy state and territory government regulatory authority licensing requirements.
Sample collection
The number of samples collected is based on Australian production levels and/or overseas export market requirements.
The samples are collected under the supervision of government officers who obtain a random selection of samples at specified times from aquaculture farms or processing establishments.
Analytical screens
Analytical screens are developed in consultation with the industry and consider chemicals registered in Australia, chemical residue profiles and overseas market requirements.
Seafood samples are screened for a range of pesticides, veterinary drugs and environmental contaminants, as shown in Table 1.
| Analytical screen | Chemical group | Analytes |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinary medicines and pesticides | Anthelmintics | includes macrocyclic lactones |
| Antimicrobials | includes aminoglycosides, beta lactams, macrolides, nitrofurans, nitroimidazoles, phenicols, sulfonamides, tetracyclines and quinolones | |
| Hormones | includes stilbenes and androgenic steroids | |
| Pesticides | Fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, physiological modifiers and plant growth regulators. | |
| Environmental contaminants | Organochlorines | aldrin, chlordane, dieldrin, DDT, endrin, HCB, HCH, heptachlor, lindane, mirex, toxaphene and PCBs |
| Metals | antimony, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury | |
| Dyes | crystal violet, malachite green, brilliant green, methylene blue and victoria blue |
Results
In 2023–24, a total of 187 aquaculture and 107 wild caught samples were collected for analysis. The results were compared with the Australian standards and where appropriate, relevant international standards.
A summary of seafood compliance with Australian standards over the past 6 years is provided in Table 2. The results highlight excellent compliance with Australian standards and demonstrate the strong commitment of the seafood industry to good catching, growing, and processing practice. The consistently high compliance rates help maintain the reputation and integrity of Australian seafood in domestic and international markets.
The yearly summary datasets for the seafood program are located on the department’s website
| Years | Compliance rates (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 – 19 | Aquaculture | 99.48 |
| Wild caught | 100 | |
| 2019 – 20 | Aquaculture | 100 |
| Wild caught | 100 | |
| 2020 – 21 | Aquaculture | 100 |
| Wild caught | 100 | |
| 2021 – 22 | Aquaculture | 100 |
| Wild caught | 100 | |
| 2022 – 23 | Aquaculture | 100 |
| Wild caught | 98.36 | |
| 2023 – 24 | Aquaculture | 99.47 |
| Wild caught | 100 | |
Laboratory selection and performance
The NRS contracts laboratories to analyse animal and plant product samples for pesticide/veterinary medicine residues and environmental contaminants.
Laboratories are selected through the Australian Government procurement process based on their proficiency and value for money. Laboratories must be accredited to international standard ISO/IEC 17025 at commencement of testing.
Contracted laboratories are proficiency tested by the NRS to ensure the validity of their analytical results and technical competence.
The NRS has been accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities as a proficiency test provider since July 2005.
International export markets
The NRS maintains information on maximum residue limits (MRLs) that apply for Australia and major export markets for industries supported by the NRS. All analysis results are checked for compliance with Australian standards and relevant international MRLs.
For the Australian MRL standard see https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2023L01350/latest/versions