Penicillin-G and oxytetracycline residues in beef sold for human consumption in Maroua, Cameroon

Background The contamination of food by chemical hazards is a worldwide public health concern and is a leading cause of trade problems internationally. Based on former work describing the prevalent use and misuse of antibiotics in cattle in the Far North Region of Cameroon, we designed a study to detect antibiotic (penicillin G and oxytetracycline) in beef sold for human consumption in Maroua (Cameroon). To determine the mean concentration of antibiotic residues in beef, sample of liver and muscle were collected from 202 cattle selected randomly in all the slaughterhouses of Maroua and Godola and analyzed using Liquid Chromatographic tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Characteristics of the cattle selected (age, sex, breed, body condition score, weight, production system, and pathology, etc.) were also collected before and/or after slaughter – by physical examination and survey, and post mortem examination.