A survey of antibiotic residues in commercial eggs in Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Poultry nutrition or inappropriate treatments by antibiotics can lead to production of eggs with antibiotic residues. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of drug residues in eggs presented in Kermanshah, Iran. For this purpose, 120 eggs with the average weight of 60 grams were collected randomly from the supermarkets in Kermanshah and later were tested for antibiotic residues using the Four- Plate Test (FPT) method. The results showed that 3.3% of the tested eggs had antibiotic residues. The main residues in egg yolk was due to tetracycline. Aminoglycosides were also detected as minor contaminants. Accordingly, antibiotic residues in eggs presented in Kermanshah are a threat for human consumption and therefore strong supervision of the authorities is essential.