Occurring central Italy, 262 unmedicated feed samples and 353 samples of animal tissues and eggs are tested for coccidiostats between 2012 and 2017. A validated multi-residue HPLC-MS/MS method is applied for the simultaneous determination of the 11 coccidiostats licensed in the EU. The dietary exposure to coccidiostats through poultry meat and eggs is calculated for high consumers, and the contribution to acceptable daily intake of coccidiostats is evaluated. The occurrence of positive feed samples ranges from 17.2% in 2012 to 28.3% in 2017, with an average percentage of positive samples of 25%, while 3.8% of feed samples are non-compliant with a concentration ranging from 0.015 mg/kg for diclazuril to 56 mg/kg for narasin. Positive samples of animal tissues, on average, are 34.7%, fully compliant, while 16% of eggs are positive and violative residues are found in 2%. These noncompliant samples show a concentration varying from 2.4 µg/kg to 1002 µg/kg. The contribution of poultry meat and egg consumption to the acceptable daily intake of each coccidiostat is below 1%, highlighting a low direct risk to public health.

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A multi-residue method was applied to investigate the incidence and the concentration of ionophores and non-ionophore anticoccidials residues in poultry meat and hen eggs for the three-year period 2017-2019 in Italy. The risk related to the ingestion of such molecules was also characterized for the entire population. The average incidences of positive samples ranged from 1.35 to 9.45% while the maximum average concentration was of 4.28 μg/kg for nonionophore molecules. No uncompliant sample was recorded. The overall risk characterization related to the intake of anticoccidials trought chicken meat and eggs reveal a minor concern for consumers of all age. However, the monitoring of coccidiostates residues through official control activity in poultry meat and egg is crucial and it should be continuously conducted to ensure safety of such products and safeguard consumers̛ health.