1. PURPOSE
   This notice informs inspection program personnel (IPP) of changes in nitrofuran residue sampling. FSIS is suspending the sampling and testing of young chicken carcasses and raw poultry products for nitrofuran residues under the U.S. National Residue Program (NRP) in all domestic and imported poultry products.
2. BACKGROUND
   Nitrofuran drugs are broad-spectrum antibiotics used to fight bacterial infections. The metabolism of nitrofuran in the body results in tissue-bound metabolites, one of which is semicarbazide (SEM). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibits the use of nitrofuran drugs in food-producing animals (21 CFR 530). Nitrofurazone is a nitrofuran. SEM has been used as a target analyte for monitoring compliance with the prohibitions against the use of nitrofurazone. Studies have shown that SEM can form through mechanisms other than the use of nitrofurazone, such as by-products formed during food processing. Therefore, detection of SEM as a marker residue does not always indicate nitrofuran drug misuse.
3. SUSPENSION OF FSIS SAMPLING CODES
   1. The Agency performs nitrofuran residue analysis of poultry products under the NRP and began collecting whole chicken carcass samples at official establishments that slaughter young chickens in November 2019, under FSIS Notice 40-19, Sampling of Young Chicken Carcasses for Nitrofurans Prior to Chilling. The young whole chicken carcass sampling program was continued in November 2020 under FSIS Notice 61-20. FSIS has collected sufficient data and determined that it will not continue nitrofuran residue sampling of young chicken carcasses and the testing of raw poultry products. The results for nitrofuran residue testing may be found in the FSIS Sampling Summary Report.
   2. On November 1, 2022, IPP will no longer receive young chicken carcass sampling tasks for the project code NRP_WC.
   3. There are no changes to sample instructions for other poultry products collected under the project codes NRP_YC and NRP_YT. The suspension of nitrofuran residue analysis only affects laboratory analysis for these project codes.
   4. Upon issuance of this notice, IPP are to cancel scheduled sampling tasks or delete any remaining sampling tasks from the task list for project code NRP_WC. IPP are to refer to FSIS Directive 13,000.2 Performing Sampling Tasks in Official Establishments Using the Public Health Information System for instructions and select "Not collected for miscellaneous reasons" as the reason.
      
4. QUESTIONS
   Refer questions regarding this notice to your supervisor or as needed to the Office of Policy and Program Development through askFSIS or by telephone at 1-800-233-3935. When submitting a question, complete the web form and select Sampling for the inquiry type. 

NOTE: Refer to FSIS Directive 5620.1, Using askFSIS, for additional information on submitting questions.