New Test Detects Antibiotic Residues in Baby Food

ALMERIA, SpainResearchers from the University of Almeria have developed a quick and precise method to detect antibiotic residue in milk powder and meat-based baby food, according to a new study published in the journal Food Chemistry.

Antibiotics, such as tilmicosine, or antiparasitic drugs, such as levamisole, are given to livestock in order to avoid illness, but they can remain later in food. The findings suggest it occurs because there is no thorough control on the administration of drugs to animals on some farms.

"The concentrations detected have been generally very low. On one hand, this suggests they are not worrying amounts, on the other hand, it shows the need to control these products to guarantee food safety" said Antonia Garrido, Professor of Analytical Chemistry at UAL.

The researchers developed a multi-residue" method that allows several drugs to be detected at a time in baby food. Chromatographic techniques are used for this, in order to separate compounds, and mass spectrometry to identify them.

The "precise, simple and fast" methodology has been validated by analyzing 12 meat products (cow, pig or poultry) and nine milk powder samples. Data indicate that concentrations of veterinary drugs vary from 0.5 to 25.2 µg/kg in the former and 1.2 to 26.2 µg/kg in the latter "although with more samples, more conclusive results would be obtained."

Sulfonamides, macrolides and other antibiotic traces have been found, as well as anthelmintics (anti-worm) and fungicides. In total, they found five veterinary drugs in milk powder and 10 in meat products, especially if they were chicken or other poultry.

Until now, the European Commission has regulated the levels of pesticides and other substances in cereal based foods for children and babies, but not in animal-based foods. As a result of the lack of regulation, a zero-tolerance policy is usually applied to veterinary drugs in food, as they can cause allergic reactions, resistance to antibiotics and other health problems.