Sulfonamide residues in meat and meat products over a three- year period

Primjena antibiotika, odnosno sulfonami- da u liječenju različitih bolesti životinja koje se koriste za prehranu ljudi može dovesti do po- jave njihovih ostataka u tkivima, a mogu zavr- šiti i u mesnim proizvodima. Iz tih razloga je važno praćenje ostataka u hrani životinjskog podrijetla. U ovome istraživanju mjerena je koncentracija sulfonamida u uzorcima mesa i mesnih proizvoda primjenom ELISA metode koja je validirana prema kriterijima Odluke Komisije 2002/657/EC. Utvrđeni su sljedeći validacijski parametri za meso i proizvode: sposobnosti dokazivanja CCβ 60,0 i 11,0 μg/ kg; iskorištenje 80,2 i 66,9%; koeficijent vari- jacije 17,4 i 18,6%; granice detekcije LOD 2,9 i 0,63 μg/kg; granice kvantifikacije LOQ 5,7 i 2,87 μg/kg. Validacijom je potvrđeno da je pri- mjenjivana metoda prikladna za svoju namje- nu kvantifikacije sulfonamida u mesu i pro- izvodima. U ovome istraživanju sakupljani su uzorci svinjskog i goveđeg mesa te mesnih proizvoda (naresci, kobasice, šunke, paštete) u periodu od 2015. do 2017. godine. U uku- pno 535 analiziranih uzoraka, sulfonamidi su određeni u rasponu od 0,32 do 38,9 μg/kg. Nije utvrđen niti jedan rezultat s vrijednosti- ma višim od najviše dopuštene koncentracije (NDK) od 100 μg/kg. Najviša koncentracija od 38,9 μg/kg izmjerena je u uzorku svinj- skog mesa u 2015. godini. Ukupne srednje vrijednosti koncentracija sulfonamida u mesu su određene iznad LOD vrijednosti samo u 2015., dok su za mesne proizvode određene u rasponu 1,45 do 2,06 μg/kg. Europska agenci- ja za sigurnost hrane je u izvješćima načinje- nim na osnovu nacionalnih planova praćenja ostataka sulfonamida članica EU objavila da je u razdoblju od 2013. do 2015. godine u uku- pno 235 uzoraka hrane životinjskog podrijetla ustvrđena koncentracija sulfonamida iznad NDK vrijednosti. Nesukladni uzorci prijavlje- ni su tijekom te tri godine u ukupno 50, 48 i 31 u goveđem mesu i svinjskom mesu. U 2014. godini u Hrvatskoj je utvrđen nesukladni uzorak goveđeg mesa na sulfadiazin. Najveći broj nesukladnih koncentracija u goveđem i svinjskom mesu određen je za sulfonamide: sulfadiazin 48, sulfadimetoksin 25, sulfame- tazin 17, sulfadimidin 8, sulfadoksin 6, sul- famerazin 4, sulfatiazol 4. Ukupno gledajući sulfadiazin je sulfonamid za koji je ustvrđeno ukupno najveći broj od 185 nesukladnih re- zultata tijekom peroda 2013. - 2015. Članice EU koriste centralni sustav brzog uzbunjiva- nja za hranu i hranu za životinje RASFF za evidentiranje nesukladnih rezultata proizvo- da svih veterinarskih lijekova. U razdoblju od 2010. do 2017. godine prijavljeno je ukupno 18 uzoraka mesa (61,1% svinjetine) i 2 mesna proizvoda s nesukladnim koncentracijama sulfonamida. Najviše određene koncetracije su 550 μg/kg sulfadiazina i 652 μg/kg sulfa- dimetoksina. Ustvrđeni rezultati određivanja sulfonamida u mesu i mesnim proizvodima u ovome istraživanju pokazuju da nema boja- zni od izlaganja potrošača povišenim koncen- tracijama sulfonamida, jer su jedva mjerljivi. Međutim, rezultati na razini EU ukazuju na opravdanost stalne kontrole u ovim vrstama hrane životinjskog podrijetla.The usage of antibiotics or sulfonamides in the treatment of various diseases in animals used for human consumption can lead to the appearance of their residues in tissue. As a result, they may also end up in meat products. For these reasons, it is important to monitor residues in food of animal origin. In this study, sulfonamide concentrations were measured in meat and meat product samples using the ELISA method, validated in accordance with the criteria of Commission Decision 2002/657/ EC. The following validation parameters for meat and meat products were determined: detection capability (CCβ) 60.0 and 11.0 μg/ kg; recovery 80.2% and 66.9%; coefficient of variation 17.4 and 18.6%; detection limits (LOD) 2.9 and 0.63 μg/kg; quantification limits (LOQ) 5.7 and 2.87 μg/kg. Validation confirmed that the method used is suitable for the purpose of quantification of sulfonamide in meat and meat products. In this study, samples of pork and bovine meat and meat products (minced meat, sausages, ham, pâté) were collected in the period from 2015 to 2017. In a total of 535 analysed samples, sulfonamides were determined in the range of 0.32 to 38.9 μg/kg. No samples were found with values above the maximum permitted concentration (MRL) of 100 μg/kg. The highest concentration of 38.9 μg/kg was measured in a sample of pork meat in 2015. Overall concentrations of sulfonamide in meat were determined above the LOD values only in 2015, while for meat products, the range was between 1.45 and 2.06 μg/kg. Based on the EU Member States reports on the national monitoring plans of sulfonamide residues in the period from 2013 to 2015, the European Food Safety Agency reported a total of 235 samples of food of animal origin with non-compliant results above the NDK values for sulfonamide concentrations. Non- compliant results in bovine and pig samples were reported for these three years in a total of 50, 48 and 31 samples, respectively. In 2014, non-compliant sulfadiazine results were found in bovine meat in Croatia. The highest number of non-compliant concentrations in bovine and pig products were determined for sulfonamides: sulfadiazine 48, sulfadimethoxine 25, sulfamethazine 17, sulfadimidine 8, sulfadoxine 6, sulfamerazine 4, sulfathiazole 4. Overall, sulfadiazine is the sulfonamide with the highest number of non- compliant results (185) measured during the period 2013-2015. EU Member States use the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) to record non-compliant product results of all veterinary medicine products. In the period from 2010 to 2017, a total of 18 meat samples (61.1% pork) and 2 meat products with non- compliant concentrations of sulfonamide were reported. The highest concentrations measured were 550 μg/kg of sulfadiazine and 652 μg/kg of sulfadimethoxine. The results of sulfonamide determination in meat and meat products in this study show that there is no fear of exposure to high concentrations of sulfonamide, as they are barely measurable. However, EU-level results point to the justification of permanent controls for these types of food of animal origin