The incidence of the drug nicarbazin found in poultry meat here does not pose a serious risk to consumer health, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said last night.
It was commenting on a report from the National Food Residue Database which recorded that one-in-five poultry samples tested positive for the drug.
It is used to treat an infectious parasite which damages the gut of poultry and other animals in intensive farming.
Poultry are treated routinely with such drugs, which are used as additives in feed early in the birds' lives, but adult feed is supposed to be free of the drug.
Some 19 out of 101 poultry meat samples tested positive for the drug in 2004 and traces were found in domestic poultry liver.
However, last night the FSAI said Irish consumers should not be unduly concerned about consuming poultry meat in light of recent media reports.
"The FSAI states that incidence of nicarbazin residues as reported by the National Food Residue Database do not pose a serious risk to consumer health," it went on.
"Due to the low toxicity of nicarbazin, the low levels found in chicken liver, and the fact that chicken liver is not consumed in large quantities, the FSAI believes there is no risk to consumer health," it added.