ABSTRACT
The research was carried out with the objective of analyzing raw milk marketed secretly in the Municipal district of Mossoró, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, in regard to the presence of beta-lactam residues. Delvotest SP was used as the selection test. For two months, samples of raw marketed milk were collected in different points of Mossoró, the collections were weekly, resulting in a total of 32 analyzed samples. Before applying the test, the samples were prepared to inactivate possible unspecific inhibitions (lisoenzime, lactoferrina, etc.), and soon afterwards the tests were conducted according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. All of the analyzed samples were negative. Therefore the samples were free from antibiotics or they contained amounts less than the maximum residue limit (LMR) allowed in the milk. The absence of positive samples among the raw milk analyzed does not prove that the population is free of the problem, because it is known that this food is not subjected to any control and therefore poses a health risk to those who consume it.
KEY WORDS
Antibiotic residue; food safety; public health