Ozone fine bubbles facilitating enrofloxacin and chloramphenicol removal from meat

Antibiotic residues in meat pose escalating food safety and antimicrobial resistance risks. Hence, it was crucial to develop effective strategies for removing these antibiotics to ensure food safety and quality. This study evaluated ozone fine bubbles (OFB) washing for the simultaneous removal and oxidative degradation of enrofloxacin (ENR) and chloramphenicol (CAP) from chicken and fish meat, and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Hydroxyl radicals (4.15–4.53 μmol/L per minute) produced by dissolved ozone (0.07 mg/L) facilitated the decomposition of the antibiotics. Experimental parameters, including water volume and pH, were optimized. For chicken, the optimal antibiotic removal rates were 20 % for ENR and 33 % for CAP using 8 L of water at pH 7.6. For fish, with a water volume of 4 L and the same pH, ENR and CAP removal reached 81 % and 48 %, respectively. The degradation pathways of ENR and CAP during OFB treatment were elucidated using mass spectrometry. Three-dimensional fluorescence spectra results complemented the analysis of the degradation processes of ENR and CAP. Importantly, OFB treatment had no significant effect on the protein content or structure of the meat. Overall, OFB showed promise for reducing antibiotic residues in chicken and fish meat and could be further optimized for similar muscle-food applications. • OFB removed up to 73 % ENR and 39 % CAP residues from chicken and fish meat. • OFB system supplied 0.07 mg/L O 3 and ∼4 μmol/L ·OH for dual oxidative removal. • MS and 3D-EEM clarified degradation mechanisms of enrofloxacin and chloramphenicol. • OFB treatment did not significantly alter meat protein content or muscle structure.