African Journal of Food Science, 2017; 11(2): 40-43
Antibiotic residues in food of animal origin pose a threat to both human and animal’s health due to an
increasing level of resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria to a wide range of antibiotic drugs. A cross-
sectional study was conducted to assess the levels of oxytetracycline (OTC) residues in raw beef in
Dodoma region, Tanzania. The OTC levels were determined by using liquid chromatography-mass
spectrometry (LC-MS). A total of 60 beef samples were collected from various slaughterhouses and
butcheries. Twenty-one out of 60 samples (35%) had OTC residues and no samples had OTC levels
above the maximum allowed residues limits (200 μg/kg). The highest OTC concentration was 4.95 ng/g,
while the mean concentration was 0.69 ± 0.09 ng/g. The obtained levels were not expected to induce
adverse effects and the beef is safe for consumers. Though the findings indicates the meat in the
market is safe for consumers, it calls for a proper management of antimicrobial drugs use for animal
production as an additional advantage to consumers.