Validation of the Declared Withdrawal Periods of Antibiotics

Drug residues in poultry and poultry products are becoming an alarming or burning concern for public health because of improper use of drugs/feed additive, or failure to observe drug withdrawal period, non-existence of restrictive legislation and lack of consumer awareness in the poultry industry. The declared withdrawal periods and safe level/tolerance level of any antibiotics will be stay in same points. The aim of the study was to validate the declared withdrawal periods and to see whether there is any alteration of these declared withdrawal periods that farmers are practicing in in-situ and ex- situ condition in Bangladesh context. For this, a total of 2100 broilers and 2100 eggs were collected from different markets of poultry rich area in seven divisions of Bangladesh. Seven different drugs such as Enrofloxacin, Oxytetracycline, Ciprofloxacin, Sulfonamide, Chloramphenicol, Gentamycin, Furazolidone were used as Maximum Residue Limit (MRL). In case of Enrofloxacin, Ciprofloxacin and Sulfonamides residues persist in broiler meat after the declared withdrawal periods, on the other hand Oxytetracycline, Cloramphenical and Gentamycin maintains the withdrawal period as per stated but the Furazolidone disappears for broiler meat before the declared withdrawal periods. It was found that 55% poultry samples remain above MRL during 1-3 interval period's in the validation of withdrawal period indicates not safe for human health. It can be concluded that lack of observation of withdrawal period might be a common practice given the high level of antibiotics in the poultry farm of Bangladesh.