Screening of antibiotics residues in poultry meat by microbiological methods.

Abstract

Antibiotics are efficiency substances for the treatment and improvement of animal production yields. However, their irrational and non-moderate using can cause serious problems for the consumer and the manufacturer. The aim of this study is to check their presence in the poultry meat by conventional microbiological methods (four boxes) recommended and approved by French Agency of Food Safety (AFSSA). For this purpose, 145 poultry meat samples were taken from various breeding farms and tested by Plates Agar diffusion at different pH (6, 7.2 and 8), seeded by two references strains: Bacillus subtilis (BGA spores) and Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 9341). The results revealed that 124 out of 145 poultry meat samples were positive to antibiotic residues with the percentage of 85.51%. However, most of them contained 75.81% of I²-lactams and/or Tetracyclines against 44.35% for Macrolides and/or I²-Lactams and 36.29% for Sulfonamides. Conversely, 13.71% of samples were positive to aminoglycosides. The study confirms the misuses and non compliance of the withdrawal period between the administration of antibiotic in animal and its slaughter. Therefore, control of antibiotic residues should be a future concern for both producers and processor in order to protect health’s consumers.