Brussels, 20/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, composed of Member State representatives, voted on Tuesday evening in favour of a proposal aimed at lifting the remaining 20% residue testing requirement on poultry meat from Thailand. Lifting of such restrictions will take effect when the European Commission has formally adopted the proposal. On 28 July, the testing obligation on imported poultry meat was made less stringent, being reduced from 100% to 20%. The obligation of systematic controls on all batches of shrimps from Thailand had been lifted on 24 June. Since March 2002, all shrimps and poultry meat from Thailand had to be inspected after the discovery of nitrofuran and other residues in shrimps and poultry from Thailand and Vietnam. The use of nitrofurans, medicine used for veterinary purposes, is banned in the meat sector because of the risk entailed by these substances for human health, mainly their potential to cause cancer in humans after prolonged consumption.