Drug residues in edible animal products and public health

As protein needs for the growing world population enlarge, maximization of animal productivity has become a matter of concern.  Modern farming systems involving intensive rearing of animals in restricted areas are being optimized so that adequate supplies of food of animal origin for the increasing world population can be produced at reasonable prices.

The rearing conditions of a large number of animals in restricted areas could be more favorable for rapid spread of diseases. Many practices in modern animal husbandry, such as livestock marketing, and movement of very young animals can further act as trigger factors for the initiation and development of clinical diseases. This has led to an increasing use of a great variety of drugs for therapeutic, preventive, or growth in promoting applications in animal and fish farming.

Drugs, however valuable for increasing food animal productivity they may be, present a concern for public health, considering the potential presence of their residues in the edible products of treated animals. Extra-label or illegal use of sometimes dangerous drugs in food animals are examples of applications that may cause a serious health hazard.

The most serious objections to the presence of drug residues in food intended for human consumption arise as a consequence of human health considerations. With the extensive use of drugs in animal production, residues of the parent drugs and/or metabolites have a high potential to be present in the edible animal products. Such residues in food constitute a variety of public health hazards including toxicological, microbiological, immunological, pharmacological and other hazards. Health hazards from drug residues in food depend on the frequency and degree of human exposure.

Apart from public health impacts, residual antimicrobials in animal products can bring about techno-economic losses in the food processing industry. It has long been known that the presence of some antimicrobial compounds in milk can dramatically affect the production of fermented dairy products such as yogurt and cheese.