Mariclare McGarrity reports on a testing array for anti-parasitic drug residues in meat.
Mariclare McGarrity reports on a testing array for anti-parasitic drug residues in meat.
Globally, cattle and poultry production are two of the most important agricultural industries.
Anthelmintics and Coccidiostats are some of the common infections battled throughout our worldwide cattle and poultry industries. Screening methods must be put in place to keep our meat and eggs drug-residue free.
There has been a noted success in the past 60 years in controlling helminth parasites in cattle using anthelmintics. However, helminth infection continues to be a looming threat to our global livestock production with increased Anthelmintic resistance.
Parasitic helminth infection effects food producing animals worldwide. The word 'helminth' is a general term meaning 'worm.' Anthelmintic drugs are used to treat helminth infection in cattle.
Despite the prevalence and economic impact of helminth infection, little attention is given to the development of new Anthelmintics. The most widely successful drug over the past 20 years has been Ivermectin (an Avermectin) which has decreased research into new drugs.
In 2011, 46 border rejections were raised in the EU for residues of veterinary medical products, 25 of which were for the anthelmintic drug Ivermectin. These rejections have highlighted the need for a rapid and reliable screening method to ensure that foods containing these drugs are not allowed to enter the food chain.
Just like Helminth infection in the cattle industries, coccidiosis is causing economic losses in the poultry industry. Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of animal intestinal tracts caused by coccidian protozoa. Symptoms usually include bloody droppings, weight loss and mortality in young chickens.
With no sign of the growth in global appetite for poultry meat waning (up by 50 per cent since 2000), the pressure on producers to farm intensively is ever increasing.
To prevent infection, farmers may administer prophylactic antiprotozoal Coccidiostats in feed, which increases the chance that coccidiostat residues are retained in both poultry meat and eggs.
To reduce the risk of toxicity to consumers, regulatory authorities have set maximum residue limits (MRLs) recommending an appropriate withdrawal period prior to slaughter.
Randox Food Diagnostics offers the Anthelmintics testing array, detecting 25 anthelmintic compounds from a single sample.
These compounds include albendazole sulphoxide and albendazole-2-aminosulphone both of which are the main residues detected in tissue matrices.
The Coccidiostats Array will quantitatively test for 22 analytes including Lasalocid, Nicarbazin, Imidocarb, simultaneously.
Data indicates applicability of this biochip array to the multiplex determination of coccidiostat and anthelmintic residues, which is relevant for the screening of these compounds in foods to ensure compliance with regulatory MRLs. This multiplex screening approach reduces time and cost spent testing samples for these residues.
For more information at www.scientistlive.com/eurolab
Mariclare McGarrity is Senior Customer Support Scientist, Randox Food Diagnostics Ltd, Crumlin, Co. Antrim, UK. www.randoxfooddiagnostics.com
