E-Learning

Why test for antibiotics?

Antibiotics are used in animal husbandry for the treatment and prevention of bacterial infections. Depending on the type of treatment and the time between administration and slaughter, drug residues can be present in animal food products and may constitute a food safety risk for the consumer.

Maximum Residue Limits

Therefor the EU has established Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for these compounds in food of animal origin. This applies to products like meat, milk and eggs, but also standards for kidney, fat and liver have been set. All products on the EU market have to comply with these requirements. To allow for enforcement by governmental organizations, but also producers self-control, many methods for the detection of antibiotic residues have been developed.