Antimicrobial residues in meat from chickens in Northeast Vietnam: analytical validation and pilot study for sampling optimisation

Abstract

Antimicrobials used in chicken farming for therapeutic and/or prophylactic purposes may result in unacceptable levels of edible residues, if withdrawal periods are not respected. To evaluate the risk in Vietnam, we validated an analytical methods to detect antimicrobial residues from chicken meat samples and carried out a pilot cross-sectional study to identify optimal sampling strategies. A total of 45 raw meat samples were collected from 4 markets, 1 slaughterhouse and 4 farms (5 per site) in Northern Vietnam, in March-April 2021. Samples were analysed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for the presence of 68 antimicrobials at a pre-defined validation concentration. Seven compounds were identified from four classes (tetracyclines, sulphonamides, macrolides, and fluoroquinolones). In markets, where the source of sampled chickens was unknown, a diverse pool of residual antimicrobials was detected in 20% (4/20) of meat samples. No residues were detected from the slaughterhouse. Farmers were asked about antimicrobials used during sampled production cycles (5 chickens sampled per batch). No residues were detected in chickens from the one farm that reported using of antimicrobials, whereas sulfadimethoxine, doxycycline and tilmicosin residues were identified from the other 3 farms reporting no antimicrobial use. The probability of detecting antimicrobial residues present in a flock based on sampling a single chicken was estimated at 0.93 (Highest Density Interval: 0.735-0.997). The preliminary results suggest a disparity between farmers’ reports on antimicrobial drug use and actual usage, and that the analysis of a single sample per farm has a high probability of detecting antimicrobial residues, if present