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Residues of antibiotics and sulfonamides in honeys from Basque Country (NE Spain)
Author(s) -
Bonvehí J Serra,
Gutiérrez A Lacalle
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.3411
Subject(s) - tetracycline , european union , residue (chemistry) , veterinary drug , chemistry , maximum residue limit , veterinary drugs , chromatography , chloramphenicol , liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry , detection limit , veterinary medicine , mass spectrometry , antibiotics , pesticide residue , biology , medicine , pesticide , biochemistry , agronomy , business , economic policy
BACKGROUND: The aim of this work was to ensure that Label Basque market honey is free of veterinary residues. RESULTS: A total of 567 Basque honey samples were previously analyzed with the respective Charm II system—68 samples were presumptive positive for sulfonamides (SA‐s), 24 samples for tetracyclines (TC‐s), and no positive samples for chloramphenicol (CAP) (<0.3 µg kg −1 ) residues. The residues were mostly confirmed by liquid chromatography fluorescence detection (LC‐FD) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS), according to the latest European Union criteria for the analyses of veterinary drug residues (2002/657/EC). These techniques confirmed that 19 of the 68 samples, presumptive contaminated with SA‐s, contained sulfathiazole (STZ) residues at levels from 20 to 210 µg kg −1 , and the 24 samples presumptive contaminated with TC‐s, were also confirmed, showing tetracycline (TC) levels from 15 to 920 µg kg −1 . Linearity range, decision limit (CCα), detection capability (CCβ), precision and reproducibility were also determined. CONCLUSION: Residues of veterinary drugs were confirmed in a very limited number of honey samples: sulfathiazole (3.40%) and tetracycline (4.22%). This work reports the advantages of the Charm II assay, but also its limitations, detecting SA‐s in most (87.7%) of the heather ( Erica vagans ) honey samples. The false positives detected in this honey were assumed to be of an unknown compound that has not been confirmed as a drug residue. Until now, no studies have been performed to find out if other heather honeys of different geographical origins give similar false positives for SA‐s. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry