Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD): An Automated Pharmacologic Databank for Drug and Chemical Residue Avoidance

The Food Animal Residue Avoidance Databank (FARAD) is a comprehensive computerized databank of regulatory and pharmacologic information useful for mitigation of drug and chemical residue problems in food-producing animals. For drugs, the databank contains information on proprietory products, labelled indications for use, and approved withdrawal and milk discard times. For drugs and chemicals, data are available on physiochemical properties of the chemical or generic drug, on tissue, egg and milk tolerances of these compounds, and on their pharmacokinetic behavior. This latter category is the most unique aspect of FARAD as it involves an extensive statistical analysis of published data, which results in estimates of the rates of depletion of these compounds in target animal species. These data have not been previously available. All data in FARAD are linked to specific sources which are listed in a citation file. Finally, resources produced as a result of USDA Residue Avoidance Program projects are listed in the database. Access to the databank is available at three regional access centers in California (916-752-7507), Illinois (217-333-3611) and Florida (904-392-4085), while the databank is maintained at a data analysis and support center in North Carolina. FARAD presently contains over 7,000 records with information on 250 compounds, and is supported by the USDA-Extension Service's Residue Avoidance Program.