Antibiotics: A Food Safety Issue

Population growth and globalization are currently having many negative effects on the agri-food sector’s ability to ensure safe and qualitative food. Use of medicines and chemicals in animal husbandry can considerably increases production and animals’ resistance to disease and pests. Elevated levels of exposure to food contaminated with chemical residues from the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry and various growth hormones are very dangerous to human health. They contribute to genetic changes at the cellular level and decreased resistance of the body to viruses and bacteria. Frequent use of antibiotics may result in chemical residues in milk, meat, eggs and honey due to large-scale application of drugs in veterinary practice. In addition to its toxicity, antibiotic residues are carcinogenic and ingested in the long term lead to increased tolerance to medication against human diseases caused by deadly bacteria. Continuous monitoring of the production phase of the agri-food chain is absolutely necessary to identify the risks of contamination and reduce the use of illegal antibiotics in animal husbandry. This research aims to determine the main causes of food contamination with chemical residues and to create an overview of the negative effects that antibiotics have on human health.