High Levels of Contamination by Antibiotic Residues in Raw and Fermented “lben” Cow’s Milk Collected in Guelma, Algeria

Abstract

In an effort to improve the quality and quantity of food production (particularly milk) and to prevent or treat animal diseases, the use of antibiotics in Algeria is on the rise. The increased use clearly contributes to the emergence of higher levels of antibiotic residue contamination. Two methods were used in this study to detect the presence of antibiotic residues in raw and fermented cow's milk collected from Guelma's farms (in Algeria). The comparison of the two methods revealed that Delvotest SP-NT is less reliable due to the high number of false negative results. This was confirmed by LC-MS/MS, which revealed antibiotic traces in a number of samples. Antibiotic residues were found in 65.46% of milk samples, indicating a lack of public health controls as well as evidence of negligent antibiotic use in the livestock industry, both of which pose a risk to public health.The study provided an LC-MS/MS-based analytical method that is ready for use in the Algerian National Residues Control Plan as a versatile analytical tool for monitoring and determining.