Analysis of antibiotic residue in food is still a very nascent topic in India. We have very few labs with the infrastructure, equipment or expertise to detect, qualify and quantify antibiotic residue as per international standards of food safety.
The easy availability, misuse and disposal of antibiotics has led to its pervasiveness across our food and water sources, matrices and environment. There is an apprehension and uncertainty about its contribution to the build-up of antibiotic resistance.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has notified maximum permissible limits of common antibiotics across various categories of food products, including meat, poultry, marine products, dairy and honey. Currently, it is honoured more in the breach due to lackadaisical implementation and enforcement. This gives credence to the perception that the presence of these antibiotic residues is contributing to or compounding the problem of reduced efficacy for these vital drugs.
Against this background, for the first time ever in India, THE WEEK commissioned a study at the Ramaiah Advanced Testing Laboratory, Bengaluru, to simultaneously screen multiple categories of commonly consumed food items sampled from Bengaluru and its outskirts for the presence of antibiotic residues. Using advanced equipment, we detected and quantified antibiotic residues at sub-micro or picogram levels using contemporary protocols certified under the internationally recognised ISO 17025/NABL system.
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The tests were carried out using the mass spectrometry technique—the international gold standard for accurate, ultra-trace analysis that detects and quantifies chemical compounds based on their unique molecular weight pattern. The lab screened for antibiotics such as tetracycline, oxytetracycline, metronidazole, ornidazole, enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and ampicillin in a range from five to100ng/g across chicken, eggs, milk and greens.
The results presented a mixed bag. While from a toxicity perspective, the levels across most samples were within the prescribed safety or “maximum residue limits”, the tests conclusively showed the presence of antibiotic residues across multiple matrices including chicken and greens like spinach and coriander. Levels in chicken were very low, indicating prophylactic doses. The presence of antibiotic residue in coriander shows that they have been farmed in contaminated soil fed by untreated effluent.
Our primary objective was to determine if antibiotic residues were present in staple food items, irrespective of the type or levels. The results established this beyond doubt.
—Jubin George Joseph is chief operating officer, Ramaiah Advanced Testing Laboratory, Bengaluru