What is a pre-harvest food safety practice used to protect consumers from drug residues in animals?

• A. Record keeping for withdrawal times for medications
• B. Pasteurization
• C. Cooking
• D. Freezing

Answer: (A)

Preventing drug residues in meat starts with ensuring animals aren’t harvested until medicines have cleared from their system. This is done by keeping records of withdrawal times for any medications given—documenting what was used, when it was given, the dosage, and verifying the animal meets the required waiting period before slaughter. This practice directly protects consumers by ensuring residues fall below approved limits. In contrast, pasteurization, cooking, and freezing happen after harvest and primarily address pathogens or safety during processing; they do not reliably remove chemical drug residues from tissues and are not substitutes for proper withdrawal periods.