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Antibiotic residues in meat in the United Kingdom; an assessment of specific tests to detect and identify antibiotic residues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 October 2009

R. Smither ,
A. F. Lott ,
R. W. Dalziel  and
D. C. Ostler
R. Smither
Affiliation:
Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Department of Industry, Cornwall House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9NQ
A. F. Lott
Affiliation:
Laboratory of the Government Chemist, Department of Industry, Cornwall House, Stamford Street, London SE1 9NQ
R. W. Dalziel
Affiliation:
Veterinary Investigation Centre, Government Buildings, Coley Park, Reading RG1 6DT
D. C. Ostler
Affiliation:
Veterinary Investigation Centre, Government Buildings, Coley Park, Reading RG1 6DT
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Summary

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Investigations were conducted between 1977 and 1979 to assess the performance of microbiological tests for detecting and identifying residues of therapeutic-type antibacterial substances in meat and offal. Of the 5442 home-produced meat samples examined, 34 (0·63%) showed inhibitory activity in the screening test, which used Bacillus subtilis BGA and Micrococcus luteus as indicator organisms. Identification by electrophoretic and thin-layer chromatography/bio-autography techniques confirmed that only two of the 34 screen failures were due to true antibacterial residues: a pig sample contained a trace of penicillin and a horse sample contained a trace of an incompletely identified substance resembling a tetracycline. Twelve of the other 32 failures in the screen test were due to naturally produced inhibition and were, thus, falsely positive, whilst the remainder were shown to be negative. All of the 85 (8·7%) screen test failures from the 972 imported meat and offal samples tested were falsely positive. Additional samples from certain animals known to have been given antibiotic treatment were tested concurrently to give a more searching indication of screen and identification test efficacy.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 85 , Issue 3 , December 1980 , pp. 359 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

References

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