Day 5 | World Antibiotic Awareness Week – Seafood
Seafood
It’s the final day of World Antibiotic Awareness Week 2018! Here at Randox Food Diagnostics, we understand that there are several different types of veterinary drugs used within seafood cultivation to reduce mortality and improve production. Residues of these drugs are highly regulated in food production in the seafood industry.
With aquaculture continuing to be a fast-growing industry around the world and providing almost half of fish consumed globally, there is a need to control bacterial diseases. However, not all fish farmers are educated about the anatomy of the fish and the correct feed usually sourced in the wild. Therefore, many fish are poorly fed to get the largest product quickly, relying on unnatural methods such as antibiotics. In addition, the regularly used pond disinfectant malachite green is not banned globally, despite not being registered for use in food producing animals in the European Union (EU) and United States. These antibiotic residues may pass through to the fish tissue that is destined for the food chain.
Some of the most widely used antibiotics within aquaculture include: Chloramphenicol, Fluoroquinolones, Nitrofurans and Quinolones.
In order to protect human health, the EU and other regulatory authorities worldwide have established maximum residue limits (MRL) for antibiotic residues in animal products entering the human food chain. New EU regulations state that, under no circumstances, can veterinary antibiotics be administered to improve the performance of animals or compensate for poor farming conditions.
To assist with the influx in fish farming and the use of antibiotics, Randox Food Diagnostics have developed revolutionary screening solutions. The Evidence Investigator uses patented Biochip Array Technology to provide reliable and economical testing methods to monitor up to 45 residues from a single sample, including arrays for antimicrobials and triphenylmethane dyes. Additionally, Randox Food Diagnostics have used a wealth of experience to create a variety of ELISA kits for the detection of antibiotics in tissue.
For more information on our seafood arrays for tests such as chloramphenicol, fluoroquinolones, nitrofurans, quinolones, malachite green and many more, please contact us at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com