January 2013

Technical information note

Detection limits of antibiotic residue screening test kits
A wide range of commercial antibiotic residue screening test methods for milk are available for use by the Australian dairy industry. The detection limits for antibiotic residues vary between the commercial test kits. This technical information note provides a summary of the detection limits for the antibiotic screening test kits listed below. This note is intended to provide guidance only and may not include all of the kits that are currently available in Australia. Please note all sensitivities are based on those declared by the kit manufacturers/distributors Australian information brochures and are current as of the date of this publication. These sensitivities correspond to when the kits are used according to the kit manufacturer/distributor instructions to give maximum sensitivities (for example, for Delvotest SPNT running the kit at control time). Also listed in this information note are the Australian Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)1 for milk antibiotic residues that correspond to those that are detected by the kits.

References
1. Food Standards Australia New Zealand. Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code: Standard 1.4.2 Maximum Residue Limits. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia 2012.

Further information
Other technical information notes on antibiotics and dairy food safety topics are available at www.dairysafe.vic.gov.au Or contact Dairy Food Safety Victoria on (03) 9810 5900 or info@dairysafe.vic.gov.au

Photo courtesy of Copan International

This document is intended to be used as a general guide only and is not a comprehensive statement of all the relevant considerations with respect to your particular circumstances, nor does it comprise, or substitute for, legal or professional advice. DFSV does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of the information. DFSV accepts no legal liability arising from, or connected to, any reliance on this document. Dairy food product manufacturers are advised to contact the test kit distributors for updates/changes on the detection limits listed.

i n tegr i t y & a ssu ra n ce

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MRL(ppb) Test kit detection limit (ppb parts per billion) Broad spectrum Narrow spectrum

Antimicrobial AU Delvotest Copan CowSide II Charm II1 BetaStar SNAP2 Charm Ballya Ballya SP-NT ROSA MRL Q-Beta SensorBT Beta- lactam3 Beta-lactams Ampicillin 10 4 2 3-4 3-4 2-5 4-6 3-4 3-4 3-4 Amoxicillin 10 2-3 2 3-4 4-5 2-4 7-8 3-4 3-4 3-4 Benzyl penicillin G 1.5 1-2 2 2-3 2-3 2-4 2-3 2-3 2-4 1-1.5 Cloxacillin 10 20 12 10-25 30 5-10 22-41 25-35 3-4 3-4 Dicloxacillin - 10 5 5-10 15-25 5-10 20-30 20-30 6-8 6-8 Oxacillin - 10 5 5-10 25-30 5-10 24-90 40-60 3-4 3-4 Naficillin - 5 4 3-5 25-30 8-20 52-112 50-70 20-30 20-30 Piperacillin - - - - - - - - - Beta-lactam Cephalosporins Cefacetril - 20 25 - - - - 8-18 50 50 Cefalexin - 50 >45 75-100 - - - 30-60 - Cephalonium 20 5-10 12-15 15-20 3-5 7-15 1.6-3 3-5 6-8 6-8 Ceftiofur 100 25-50 25 50-100 15-20 75-150 5-7 10-20 50-70 50-70 Cefazolin - 25 6 6-10 10-20 - 13-17 12-20 50 50 Cefquinome - 75-100 80 40-60 15-20 - - 15-20 15-20 15-20 Cefoperazone - 40 30 20-30 5-10 5-8 3-7 5-9 5 5 Cephapirin 10 5 4 8-10 3-4 8-16 10-12 6-10 8-10 8-10 Cefuroxime 100 30-80 - 20-28 5-7 - - 3-5 - Tetracyclines Chlortetracycline - 200 450 100 100 - 100 - - 15 Doxycycline - 100-150 150 25-75 - - - - - 20 Oxytetracycline 100 250-500 450 75-100 100 - 50 - - 35 Tetracycline 100 250-500 450 50-100 20 - 50 - - 25 Macrolides Erythromycin 40 40-80 600 75-100 40 - - - - Pirlimycin - 20-100 - 25-50 80 - - - Spiramycin - 400-600 5000 300-400 50 - - - - Tilmicosin 25 50-100 75-100 50 20 - - - - Tylosin 50 30 100 20-30 50 - - - - Sulfonamides Sulfanilamide - - - - - - - - Sulfadimethoxine - 100 50 25-50 40 - - - - Sulfadimidine (Sulfamethazine) - 50-100 150 75-125 94 - - - - Sulfadiazine 100 25-50 50 40-60 49 - - - - Sulfadoxine 100 100-200 150 100 70 - - - - Sulfamerazine - 50-100 60 100 50 - - - - Sulfamethoxazole - <50 50 50 30 - - - - Sulfamonometosin - - 50 - - - - - - Sulfaquinoxaline (Sulfaquinoxazole) - - - - 30 - - - - Sulfathiazole - 50 50 50 73 - - - - Aminoglycosides Dihydrostreptomycin 200 >1000 1750 - 150 - - - - Gentamycin - 50 400 75-100 50 - - - - Kanamycin - 5000 4000-5000 - 1000 - - - - Neomycin 1500 100-200 5000-10000 100-150 - - - - - Spectinomycin - >300 7500 1000 - - - - - Streptomycin 200 >1000 1750 750 40 - - - - Other Chloramphenicol - 2500 5000-7500 - 0.1 - - - - Dapsone - 0.5-1 2-4 1-2 20 - - - Lincomycin 20 200 500-700 150 100 - - - - Novobicin 100 1000 - - 100 - - - Thiamphenicol - >1000 >100 - 50 - - - - Trimethoprim 50 50-100 135 200-300 - - - - - All sensitivities are based on those declared by kit manufacturers/distributors Australian information brochures and are current as of the date of this publication. These sensitivities correspond to when the kits are used according to the kit manufacturer/distributor instructions to give maximum sensitivities (e.g. for Delvotest SP-NT- running the kit at control time). Key - not specified 1 The Charm II test sensitivities for beta-lactams and cephalosporins relate to the Beta-Lactam Test MRL, macrolide sensitivites are for the Macrolide Test, sensitivities for tetracyclines are for the Tetracycline Drug MRL Test, and sulfonamides are for the Sulfa Drug Test, chloramphenicol sensitivity is for the Chloramphenicol Test, dapsone sensitivity is for the Sulfa Drug MRL Test, lincomycin is for the Macrolide Test, novobicin is for the Novobiocin Test, thiamphenicol is for the Amphenicol Test and aminoglycoside sensitivities listed refer to the Gentamicin and Streptomycin MRL Test. 2 The SNAP test sensitivities for beta-lactams are for the SNAP MRL Beta-Lactam test kit, and tetracycline sensitivities are for the SNAP Tetracycline test kit. 3 Charm Rosa MRL Beta-lactam relates to the MRL Beta-lactam 8 minute Test.