Antibiotic Residues in Animal Source Foods: Its True Challenge on Public Health and Concomitant Analytical Techniques

The use of veterinary antibiotics in food-producing animals leads to development of residues in animal derived products (meat, milk, eggs, poultry and pork) if used irrationally and illegally. Many factors influence the occurrence of residues in animal products, such as pharmacokinetic characteristics of antibiotics, disease status of animal, improper withdrawal period, and extra label use of antibiotics. Even trace number of residues in food of animal origin leads to public health impacts to the consumer. The major public health significances of drug residue are development of antibiotic resistance, hypersensitivity reaction, carcinogenicity, alteration of intestinal normal flora. and inhibition of fermentation in dairy industries. The adoption of strict regulatory measures, the advancement of bio-control solutions, the application of alternative approaches and hygienic practices along with the use of stepwise detection techniques are effective strategies to safeguard public health and preserve the efficacy of existing antibiotics for future medical use. However, data on the prevalence of veterinary antibiotic residues remain scarce, particularly in developing nations, such as Ethiopia, despite their significant implications for both public and animal health. Hence, the objectives of this paper are to bridge information gap regarding antibiotic residue, impacts on public health and approaches for its mitigation of its occurrence based on elucidation of the magnitude of the problem and applying the risk management strategies and also enhancing the awareness of animal health professionals with regard to industrial, microbiological and toxicological effects of veterinary antibiotics.