Researchers from the University of Almeria, Spain, have developed a new method which helps in finding the presence of most minute residues of drugs, which are actually given to livestock, in some infant foods.
The researchers detected residues of veterinary antibiotics such as tilmicosine and antiparasitic drugs such as levamisole in miniscule quantities in infant milk powder and meat-based foods using the analytical method. The detection will help in meeting the European Union's food safety standards which demand zero-tolerance to the presence of even small residues, reported Foodproductiondaily.com.
The novel method involves a two-stage process - one is the chromatographic technique which segregates compounds from the foods followed by a mass spectrometry technique that helps in detecting them.
The technique, termed as simple, quick and accurate, is based on QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe) methodology, and does not require any additional clean-up process, pointed the researchers.
The technique has been authenticated after accurately analyzing twelve meat products and around nine infant powdered milk samples.
The research was published in the journal Food Chemistry and is titled 'Multiclass method for fast determination of veterinary drug residues in baby food by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry'.
According to researchers, babies who are in the age of 0-2 years are vulnerable to veterinary drugs than adults as they relatively consume less food per weight unit.
