Overview of the Risks of Antibiotic Contamination of Dairy Products

Abstract

Antibiotics are widely used in animal husbandry for livestock treatment, as well as in feed additives, as growth promoters. Antibiotics are sometimes used to preserve food and extend shelf life in the food industry. One can often encounter the falsification of agricultural raw materials and finished products with antibiotics for the same purposes. Antibiotics can get into food through animals. Milk and dairy products occupy an important place among food products; they are especially necessary for the younger generation. Currently, antibiotics are considered a serious factor in the contamination of food products, as well as a source of antibiotic resistance and food allergies. The international community is concerned about the problem associated with the steady development of pathogenic microorganisms’ resistance to the drugs currently in use. According to expert estimates, about 700 thousand people die every year globally due to the resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. As a result, the problem of negative impact of antibiotics on humans becomes crucial. Different countries, the WHO, the WTO, and the EAEU, which includes the Russian Federation, adopt regulations and special laws that limit the use of antibiotics in the agro-industrial complex. Therefore, the problem of studying the risks of contamination of food and dairy products with antibiotics is a pressing matter.

Keywords

• antibiotics
• contamination
• antibiotic resistance
• milk
• dairy industry
• agro-industrial complex
• food safety