Oxytetracycline Residues in Raw Beef: A Study from Dodoma's Region, Tanzania

Abstract

Antibiotic residues in meat are dangerous to human health because they may cause the emergence of antibiotic drug resistance. A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the levels of oxytetracycline in beef. The purpose of the study was to map the distribution of oxytetracycline in beef and to determine the severity of the issue using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Oxytetracycline levels were measured in 60 randomly selected samples of beef from slaughterhouses and butchers throughout the Dodoma region of Tanzania. Twenty-one of the 60 samples (35%) contained oxytetracycline residues, but none of the samples had levels of the drug that exceeded the 200 g/kg limit that is permitted. The mean concentration of oxytetracycline was 0.69 ± 0.09 ng/g, while the maximum concentration was 4.95 ng/g. The findings show that the mean concentration level was low.