Detecting chemical contaminants in foodstuffs

The food industry is subject to greater scrutiny than ever before, by both consumers and regulatory bodies. To ensure consumers’ safety, regulatory authorities tightly control levels of veterinary drug residues such as antibiotics or livestock growth promoters.

Chris Elliott looks at why the food industry is in need of more effective technologies that can meet the increasingly stringent regulations for analysis of a variety of controlled or illegal drugs in animals.

Article includes:

• Growth promoters in livestock
• Antimicrobial residues in foodstuffs
• Testing for drug residues
• A new screening method
• Conclusions