[Detecting antibiotics in milk: a public health problem]

Abstract

Objective: Determining the presence of antibiotics in raw and processed milk in the city of Monteria.

Materials and methods: Three samplings were three samples were taken in a dairy company in the city of Monteria at two-month intervals. Pasteurised milk samples were taken from six trademarks. All milk samples were tested for acidity by alcoholometry; the presence of antiseptic H2O2 was determined by using 35 % KI and 1 % V2O5 diluted in H2SO4. The incidence of antibiotics (Total antibiotic Bio K 331 (Diagnostic Jemelle dioxide, Belgique) was then determined. The test's sensitivity limit was determined by using 0.004 UI/ml penicillin, 0.100 mg/ml oxytetracycline and 5,000 mg/ml chloramphenicol as positive controls in two-fold serial dilutions. Aliquots of milk were used as positive and negative controls for each sample. The first sampling evaluated 212 samples of milk, the second 167 and the third 66, for a total of 445 samples.

Results: All samples were negative for alcoholometry acidity. Antibiotics were detected in 111 (25 %) samples of raw milk; however, no antibiotics were detected in the pasteurised milk. The test's sensitivity revealed that penicillin was detectable in a maximum 0.002UI/ml dilution, oxytetracycline in 0.005ìg/ml and chloramphenicol in 1.25 mg/ml.

Conclusions: Traces of antibiotics being found in 25 % of milk samples revealed a lack of public health controls, as well as evidence of the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in the livestock industry and a risk to public health.