Abstract
Honey is being used as an ingredient in more foods,
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics than ever before, so honey testing has become
essential to maintaining its healthful characteristics and protecting public
health. This study was designed to investigate the
occurrence of oxytetracycline residue in honey samples. One hundred and forty
five honey samples were collected from Ardabil provinces (Northwest region of
Iran).
ELISA and HPLC were used to qualify and quantify the contamination
of the honey samples with oxytetracycline. The ELISA assay showed that out of 145
samples, 34 samples were positive for oxytetracycline residue. ELISA analyses
demonstrated that the minimum and maximum level of oxytetracycline residue was
5.32 and 369.1ng/g. HPLC analyses confirmed the ELISA findings although the
level of oxytetracycline which detected with HPLC method was remarkably
(P<0.05) lower than that of ELISA. Considering the relatively
high contamination rates of animal originated food as well as their high rates
of consumption, it is likely that consumers experience a high risk of exposure
to drug residues, especially through honey bees. Specific causal factors
associated with non-adherence of withdrawal requirements of drugs and therefore
contaminations of food were mainly knowledge related factors. This underscores
the importance of health education of farmers in dealing with the problem of
drug residues contaminating animal source food.