Why should we test Antibiotics in Milk?

Why should we test Antibiotics in Milk?

Many people today are worried about antibiotic use in livestock and the food supply. It is important to know that dairy farmers care very much about making sure your milk is safe and antibiotic-free. But, just like humans, cows sometimes get sick and need medicine. Antibiotics are used on many farms to treat infections when a cow gets an infection and needs antibiotics, a veterinarian prescribes the right medication for the type of issue the cow is having. Then the antibiotics are given to the cow for only as long as is necessary to make her better. Cows under antibiotic treatment for infections may have antibiotic residues in their milk

The approach to the control of antibiotic residues in milk is multifaceted. The primary control is on farm and begins with the correct prescription and administration of the antibiotics and the careful adherence to withdrawal periods. In short, milk producers must ensure that milk from animals under treatment or in the withdrawal period does not enter the food chain. The primary controls are complemented by the testing of milk for antibiotics, undertaken by food businesses at various points in the supply chain, including on farm.

Tank truck of milk are tested for the presence of common antibiotic residues. Specifically, milk is pumped from the tank on the farm into a tanker trunk for delivery to the processing plant. The tank truck driver takes a sample each farm’s milk before the milk is pumped into the truck. Before the milk can be unloaded at the processing plant, each load is tested for antibiotic residues. If the milk shows no evidence of antibiotics, it is pumped into the plant’s holding tanks for further processing. If the milk does not pass antibiotic testing, the entire truck load of milk is discarded and the farm samples are tested to find the source of the antibiotic residues. Regulatory action is taken against the farm with the positive antibiotic test.

We, at Kwinbon, are aware of these concerns, and our mission is to improve food safety with screening solutions to detect antibiotics in dairy and food processing industries. We offer one of the broadest range of tests to detect a large number of antibiotics used in the agro-food industry.