The food safety experts at Fera make use of innovative testing methods to highlight the levels of a comprehensive range of aminoglycosides (AGs), within your food samples. Aminoglycoside screening by Fera can help you ensure your food products meet regulatory requirements for veterinary residues, and prevent product recalls, costly in terms of both product and reputation.

Aminoglycosides (AGs) are important antibacterial agents for the treatment of various infections in humans and animals, although they are seldom the sole treatment option. In veterinary medicine in the European Union (EU), AGs account for 3.5% of the total sales of antimicrobials. This screen includes the following AGs: Apramycin, Dihydrostreptomycin, Gentamicin, Kanamycin, Neomycin, Paromomycin, Spectinomycin, and Streptomycin. Fera can screen a large range of sample types, including: Muscle (cattle), Kidney (cattle, pig, sheep), Fish, Milk and Milk Powder, Shellfish, and Honey.

In veterinary medicine AGs are used to treat a wide range of bacterial and protozoal infections in aquaculture, livestock and poultry. Evaluation of risk factors indicates that the probability of transmission of AG resistance from animals to humans through transfer of zoonotic or commensal food-borne bacteria and/or their mobile genetic elements can be regarded as high.

Specific examples of AGs include Streptomycin, used in veterinary medicine to treat bacterial diseases of cattle, pigs, sheep, and poultry; and Neomycin, used to treat bacterial gastrointestional infections of sheep, pigs, cattle, goats and poultry, with a treatment duration ranging from 3 to 7 days for poultry and up to 14 days for larger animals. Extensive use of streptomycin and neomycin can be associated with the development of resistant strains of bacteria.

Regulatory limits strictly control the use of AGs, with Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) being defined in Commission Regulation (EU) 37/2010 (or as amended), by individual aminoglycoside, for a range of food producing species. MRLs have been set in muscle, kidney, liver, fat / skin and milk. MRL values for aminoglycosides range between 50 µg/kg (Gentamicin, bovine and porcine muscle and fat) and 20,000 µg/kg (Apramycin, Bovine Kidney). Some AGs are subject to provisions according to article 14(7) 470/2009/EC, which prevent the substance being used in animals where the milk is used for human consumption, for example, apramycin. Fera can provide the evidence required by regulators to verify that the levels of aminoglycosides within your food products are compliant.

Fera has a suite of state-of-the-art screening equipment, and an established history of undertaking tests for industry, as well as pioneering new testing methodologies. Aminoglycoside screening is undertaken using LC-MSMS, and the method has been validated in accordance with the principles set out in Commission Decision 2002/657/EC, for the majority of analyte / matrix combinations. The testing procedure is fully accredited by UKAS to conform to ISO17025.

Confirmatory Analysis

Confirmatory analysis, where required, will be at the same value as the analysis performed. Fera will contact you beforehand to establish if the additional analysis is required. The delivery time for confirmatory results will be 10 working days from your instruction to proceed.

Submitting your Sample

When submitting your sample please include the food sample submission form to allow us to process your samples efficiently. Failure to send a sample submission form may result in a delay of your sample being tested.

Download the food sample submission form here.