Screening for tetracycline residues in food products of animal origin in the State of Kuwait using Charm II radio-immunoassay and LC/MS/MS methods

This study surveyed tetracycline residues in foods marketed in Kuwait using various techniques to determine their prevalence above the threshold level. A total of 1517 locally produced and imported food samples of animal origin were collected for analyses, comprising dairy products, eggs and tissue samples (meat, poultry and fish) to give a representative picture of the current use and/or misuse of the drug in Kuwait. Screening was carried out using the Charm II test for tetracycline residues. Positive and suspect positive samples were confirmed by LC/MS/MS. Negative and positive controls, in triplicate, were applied to each method and showed 80-100% agreement. The results showed that 100% of tested eggs, meat, fish, ice cream and cheese were within the limit, while 5% of poultry and 18% of milk samples were above the permitted limit.