PHARMACOVIGILANCE LABORATORY FOR ANIMAL FEED AND FOOD SAFETY (PLAFFS)

Vision

• To prepare and meet out WTO Challenges pertaining to xenobiotic residues (Veterinary drugs, Pesticides and Mycotoxins).
• Labeling of Livestock foods GMO/Non GMO
• To establish poison control information service
• To obtain NABL accreditation 17025

Objectives

Short Term Objectives

• To have a constant pharmacovigilance on Veterinary drugs (Antibiotics, growth promoters, anthelmenitics)
  • Drugs which have been banned for use in food animals
  • Drugs (Antibiotics/Antimicrobials) with MRL
• To generate a database on the spectrum of veterinary drugs in feed and feedstuff in Tamil Nadu.

Long Term Objectives

• Traceability /sources of Point contamination.
• Postmarket surveillance of approved veterinary drugs in livestock products.

Quality Policy

Pharmacovigilance Laboratory for Animal Feed and Food Safety (PLAFFS) functioning under the Directorate, Centre for Animal Health Studies (CAHS), Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) is to offer the facility of testing and reporting the levels of Mycotoxins, Drug residues, Pesticides and GMO's from various feeds, feed stuff and livestock farmers to prepare their products as per International Standards. The service of this laboratory is open to continuous improvement based on feedbacks and findings and through the application of the Quality Policy and Quality objectives.

Salient Findings

• T2 toxicosis in ostriches - 2000
• Organophosphorous toxicity – 2001
• Nitrate/Nitrite toxicosis in equines-2001
• Urea toxicity in heifers-2002
• Nitrate/Nitrite toxicosis in cattle-2004
• Zinc phosphide toxicity in monkeys-2005
• Hydrocyanic acid toxicity in cattle-2005
• Nitrate/Nitrite toxicity (Weeds) in ponies and cattle-2008
• Hydrocyanic acid toxicity (Tapioca) in cattle-2009
• Organocarbamate – Carbofuran toxicity in elephants-2009
• Tetradeconic acid toxicity in heifers-2010

Test Conducted

• Analysis of animal feed and food for the presence of the following is being carried out
  • Mycotoxin – Aflatoxin, Ochratoxin, Citrinin, Penicillic acid, T2 Toxin, Zearalenone
  • Pesticides – Organochlorine, Organophosphorous & Pyrethroids
  • Veterinary drugs
    
    • Banned Veterinary drugs – Chloramphenicol, Nitrofurans, Sulphanamides & Enroflaxacin
    • Drugs with permissible level – Tetracycline, Macrolide & Betalactam
  • Adulterants – Melamine/Urea
• Screening for GMO in Feed/Livestock Products
• Pharmacotoxicological diagnosis in disease outbreak (Nitrate/Nitrite, Zinc Phosphide, Urea toxicity, Hydrocyanic Acid toxicity)

Quantity of Sample to be Sent for Analysis

• Compounded feed / feed ingredients : 250-500g
• Bio-specimens: Minimum 50g in saturated saline
• Milk : 100mL
• Meat : 200-250g
• Egg : 6-10 nos
• Fodder : 500g

Trainings Offered

• Inplant training on "Chromatographic Techniques & Mycotoxins – Purified by Chromatographic Techniques" from 14.05.2010-14.06.2010.
• A one day awareness programme on "Residue and Quality Assurance of Feed and Livestock Products" as a part of World Veterinary Year-2011 celebrations was organized by Pharmacovigilance Laboratory for Animal Feed and Food Safety (PLAFFS), Directorate of Centre for Animal Health Studies, TANUVAS on 22.12.2011 at PLAFFS, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai-51. Fourteen participants representing various districts of Tamil Nadu including 8 Assistant Directors from Animal Disease Investigation Unit, 1 Research Associate from Central Referral Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry and 5 Assistant Research Officers from Institute of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Ranipet attended the programme.
• B.Tech-inplant- Final year B.Tech (FPT) students, College of Food and Dairy Technology, Koduvalli from 13.03.2012 to 25.06.2012.
• Project work entitled
  • "Incidence of pesticide residues and assessment of physico-chemical parameters in grape and its products"
  • "Incidence of aflatoxin contamination and assessment of physico-chemical parameters in breakfast cereals".
• National workshop: A National Workshop on "Perspective in Veterinary Pharmacovigilance, Feed and Food Safety" was organised under the support of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Research Programme, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, New Delhi from 23rd to 25th September 2010 at Pharmacovigilance Laboratory for Animal Feed and Food Safety, Directorate of Centre for Animal Health Studies, Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai-51. Eighteen delegates from various institutes, industries and entrepreneurs representing Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhyapradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu states registered for the Workshop.

Collaborative Ongooing Research

• APEDA - Rs. 5.555 crores has been sanctioned by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Government of India, New Delhi, for the project entitled "Strengthening of Pharmacovigilance Laboratory for Animal Feed and Food Safety under WTO norms for the export of Livestock Products"
• TNAU-"Development of immunological and molecular tools for diagnosis and management of Aspergillus flavus infection and aflatoxin contamination in foods and feeds" budget - 24,60,000, funding agency - Government of India, Department of Science and Technology, Technology Bhawan, New Delhi -110016
• NEOSPARK- "Development of novel mycotoxin binders for the management for mycotoxicosis in animal and human" DST Share – (70%)=Rs.12,60,000/- Neospark – (30%) =Rs. 5,40,000/- (as cash and kind) funding agency - GOI, DST, New Delhi.

Faculty

• Dr. G. Sarath Chandra, Professor and Head
• Dr. M.R. Srinivasan, Assistant Professor (working in Lab.Animal Medicine Unit)
• Dr. D. Raghu, Assistant Professor

For further details, contact:

The Professor and Head,

Pharmacovigilance Laboratory for Animal Feed and Food Safety,

Centre for Animal Health Studies,

Madhavaram Milk Colony, Chennai - 600 051.

Tele Fax: 044 - 2555 0111

E-mail: plaffs@tanuvas.org.in