Chr. Hansen markets new test for detection of antibiotic residues in milk

Meeting a rising demand for improved process control in the dairy industry Chr. Hansen extends its range of antibiotic test kits to prevent the negative effects of tetracycline residues.

Chr. Hansen, the international distributor of Neogen Corporation’s dairy antibiotic tests, is now marketing TetraStar®, the quickest test available for tetracycline residues in milk. TetraStar® produces clear results in a market-best six minutes, and like BetaStar®, is an extremely simple dipstick test that requires only minimal training and equipment to produce consistently accurate results. TetraStar® enables testing at milk reception to verify that milk is a) in accordance with regulatory demands for maximum residue limits and b) that tetracycline remains in milk do not interfere with production cultures.

One test for tetracyclines, one for beta-lactams

The tetracyclines group of dairy antibiotics is used to treat bovine mastitis, and includes tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and oxytetracycline. TetraStar® complements the widely used BetaStar® test for the beta-lactam group of dairy antibiotics, including amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephapirin, cloxacillin, and penicillin.

Higher productivity equals more antibiotics

For many years, antibiotics have been used for the treatment of infectious diseases such as mastitis in cows. Over the last few years there has been an increase in demand for higher productivity from individual cows, often resulting in more infections and subsequently an increased use of antibiotic treatments.

Under normal circumstances, treated cows must be isolated for a certain period before being milked. The normal quarantine period is 4-5 days but this may vary according to the type of antibiotic used and the applied dosage. If this quarantine period is not adhered to, farmers run a high risk of the antibiotic residue passing into the milk. Penalties for positive antibiotic residues are often severe.

Serious consequences

“Antibiotic residues also pose a major problem to the dairy industry as they can inhibit starter cultures in yoghurt and cheese making,” said Ole Madsen, Marketing Manager Dairy Enzymes & Tests, Chr. Hansen. “This could result in major losses to the dairy concerned. More importantly, and indeed more severe, are the consequences that affect human health. Residues can cause antibiotic resistance, allergy and hypersensitivity in human beings,” Madsen said.

Great interest in European dairy industry

As the European Union has set a maximum residue level of 100 parts per billion for
tetracyclines in milk, European dairies are increasingly testing for tetracyclines — especially in Spain, where tetracyclines are widely used.

Growing at approx. 10% annually, Chr. Hansen is the leading provider of dairy antibiotic tests in Europe today.

About Chr. Hansen

Chr. Hansen is a global biotechnology company that provides ingredients to the food, dairy, human health and nutrition, and animal health industries. The company is a leading supplier of food cultures, probiotics, enzymes, colors and functional blends which are applied in foods and beverages, dietary supplements and agricultural products.
For more information, please visit www.chr-hansen.com

About Neogen Corporation

Neogen Corporation develops and markets products dedicated to food and
animal safety. The company's Food Safety Division markets dehydrated culture
media, and diagnostic test kits to detect foodborne bacteria, natural toxins,
genetic modifications, food allergens, drug residues, plant diseases and
sanitation concerns. Neogen’s Animal Safety Division markets a complete line
of diagnostics, veterinary instruments, veterinary pharmaceuticals,
nutritional supplements, disinfectants, and rodenticides.
For more information, please visit www.neogen.com