Recently, residues of antibiotics surpassing the permitted level were detected in meat products currently on the market. In particular, nfloxacin, a type of antibiotics, was found in one chicken product which contained 5 times higher than the amount of level permitted. Also, tetracycline and oxytetracycline were each detected in one beef and one port product.  

 

This prompted the Korea Consumer Protection Board (KCPB) to collect 222 meat products (beef: 81 pieces, port: 80 pieces, chicken: 61 pieces) sold in department stores, discount stores and restaurants in four metropolitan cities (Seoul, Busna, Daejun and Gwangju) and tested the residue of antibiotics. 

 

Unit: ppm

 

Continuous consumption of meat containing antibiotics surpassing the permitted level may cause side effects such as the formation of resistant bacteria which makes treatment difficult.

 

Nine meat products (beef: 3, pork: 3, chicken: 3) contained antibiotics within the permitted level. The types of antibiotics used were oxytetracycline, tetracycline, sulfa methazine and nfloxacin. 

 

Based on the joint study conducted in 2004 between the KCPB and the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS), antibiotics were found in 10 out 300 products. Among them, 3 products (pork: 2, chicken: 1) surpassed the permitted level and 7 products (pork: 3, chicken: 2) were within the permitted level. 

 

One of the main reasons that antibiotics reside in livestock products is because farms fail to comply with the withdrawal period which bans the use of drugs for animals prior to shipment. Also livestock farmers are required to feed fertilizers that don’t contain drugs 15-30 days prior to shipment but this is not being abided by. 

 

Unlike Japan, and EU nations in which antibiotics only prescribed by veterinarians can be used, it is being used in Korea for self-treatment and prevention. 

 

Based on the above findings, KCPB will propose to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to actively provide education toward livestock farmers, to strengthen remedial measures for farms who failed to meet the permitted level and to develop improvement measures such as obligating the use of drugs for animals prescribed by vets. 

 

Source: Consumer Safety Center